Abbas calls on Israel to strictly respect Al-Aqsa rules

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called on Israel on Wednesday to strictly respect rules governing Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, as he met the UN chief on a mission to calm three weeks of unrest.

“The continued occupation and aggression against Christian and Muslim holy sites in east Jerusalem, particularly against Al-Aqsa, opens the door to a religious conflict, which has unfortunately started,” Abbas told journalists.

“We don’t want it and we are warning over its consequences."