GCC foreign ministers urge US to act on Israeli measures against Palestinians – Middle East Monitor
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Sunday asked the US to take responsibility for responding to Israel’s actions and statements against the Palestinians.Anadolu reports.
Last week, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denied the existence of the Palestinian people during a speech in Paris.
The far-right minister sparked international outrage on March 1 when he called for the closure of the Palestinian town of Huwara in the West Bank following the death of two Israelis in a shooting attack. His call came after Israeli settlers attacked the town in which a Palestinian was killed and several houses and vehicles vandalized.
In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the GCC foreign ministers asked Washington to “respond to all actions and statements that target the Palestinian people.”
READ: Palestine strongly condemns new Israeli settlement construction
GCC Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi said in the letter he reiterated that the cause of Palestine remains the “most important issue for Arabs and Muslims,” and Blinken urged to guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The letter also called on the US administration to “play its role in finding a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict based on the principles of international law.”
The foreign ministers of the GCC, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman, condemned Israel’s violations of the blessing of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.
On Saturday, Israeli forces raided the flashpoint site late Saturday and forced worshipers out of the complex, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.
Tensions have been high across the West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids on Palestinian towns.
Nearly 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the beginning of this year, according to Palestinian figures. Fourteen Israelis were killed in separate attacks during the same period.
READ: Israel announces plans for hundreds of new settlement units
