Saudi Arabia, Muslim countries condemn Israel’s actions against Palestinians

Talks between the foreign ministers of member countries of the Organization of Islamic kicked off on Sunday, after Saudi Arabia called for an urgent meeting.

Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s violations against Palestinian rights, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan said at the start of the meeting.

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The Kingdom calls for an immediate end to Israeli escalation in Palestine, he added.

Palestinians carry an injured man to safety, after Israeli security forces launch attacks near the Hawara checkpoint south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, on May 14, 2021. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia also condemns the “forcible” evictions of Palestinian civilians from their homes in East Jerusalem, Prince Faisal said.

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“East Jerusalem is a Palestinian land that we do not accept to harm it,” the foreign minister added.

“The Kingdom categorically rejects the Israeli violations against the Palestinians ... and calls for an immediate end to the Israeli escalation.”

Rescue workers search for victims amid rubble at the site of Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City May 16, 2021. (Reuters)

The minister said that Saudi Arabia calls on the international community to shoulder its responsibility “in the face of Israeli violations,” adding that they must intervene to end Israel’s actions.

The Kingdom renews its support for the Arab Peace Initiative, which guarantees Palestinians’ right to a state with East Jerusalem as its capital, Prince Faisal added.

For his part, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that “Israel’s practices are an assault on Arabs, Muslims and international norms.”

Al-Maliki stressed that “the Palestinian people are subjected to an Israeli apartheid ... and they are being uprooted from their lands and rights.”

“Israeli settlers are storming Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” he added.

During the meeting, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said Israel was pushing the region into further conflict and threatening peace.

Jordan expresses its support for the Palestinian cause and condemns Israel’s forced eviction of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem, saying it consitutes as a “war crime.”

For his part, Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser al-Sabah said Israel’s crimes in East Jerusalem were a violation of all international humanitarian laws.

Israeli escalation threatens the security and stability of the region, he added.

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