Egypt reaffirms rejection of Israeli forces storming to Aqsa Mosque

CAIRO – 10 May 2021: Assistant Foreign Minister Nazih El Naggari held a meeting with Israeli ambassador to Egypt Amira Oron, reaffirming Egypt’s stance on rejecting the recent storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation forces.

The Foreign Minister said in a statement, that Egypt stressed the need to respect Islamic holy places and provide protection for Palestinian civilians to practice their religious rites.

The meeting also discussed all points stated in the ministry’s statement on the recent worrying developments in East Jerusalem.

The ambassador was asked to convey a message to Israeli officials on the need to provide protection for Palestinian worshippers to pray freely and safely.

On Friday, Egypt condemned the attack on Palestinian worshippers by Israeli police, according to the statement released by the Foreign Ministry.

The statement urged the Israeli authorities to honor their responsibilities under international law by providing the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians and respecting their right to perform their religious rituals.

The ministry also urged Israel to stop practice any actions that violate the sanctity of Al Aqsa, expressing its rejection of all Israeli attempts to alter the Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity of Al Quds and obliterate its historical and legal status.

“Egypt vehemently refuses any illegal practices and acts that target the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinians,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.

Condemning the Israeli settlement policy, he said the building of new Israeli settlements and the expansion of existing ones and the confiscation of Palestinian lands and eviction of Palestinians from lands that are rightfully theirs breach international law, undermine all chances of realizing the two-state solution and threaten regional security and stability.

Hafez strongly denounced Israel’s threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Eastern Jerusalem, branding this a violation of international legitimacy and the international humanitarian law and a continuation of the forcible eviction of Palestinians from their homes.