Qatar has called on Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro to reverse his decision to move his country's embassy in the Israeli entity from Tel Aviv to the occupied Jerusalem city.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday that Bolsonaro's decision, if implemented, is a departure from the international consensus, which was reflected in the UN General Assembly's refusal to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and its call on all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in it.

The ministry expressed the hope that Brazil would support the Palestinian people until they restore all their usurped rights and achieve their legitimate aspirations.

The statement reaffirmed Qatar's firm and permanent position in support of the Palestinian cause and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy and the two-state solution, to ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

A senior Palestinian official on Friday condemned Bolsonaro's decision as "provocative".

"These are provocative and illegal steps that will only destabilise security and stability in the region," Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee, said.

"It is very unfortunate that Brazil has joined this negative alliance against international law," she said, referring to a small number of countries supporting the US decision, which sparked fury among Palestinians.

Hamas also condemned the move.

"We consider this a hostile step against the Palestinian people and the Arabic and Islamic world," spokesman Sami Abu Zahri wrote on Twitter on Friday.

Related Story