RAMALLAH, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Maliki said today he was continuing his efforts during his trip abroad to stabilize the ceasefire in Gaza, demanding meanwhile the international community to put an end to Israel’s ongoing assaults on Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Al-Maliki urged the international community to press Israel to stop the eviction of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and to stop the policy of house demolitions.

He also affirmed that the continued Israeli occupation, settlement construction and the blockade of the Gaza Strip were the main cause of all problems and the ongoing cycle of conflict, calling for addressing the root causes of the conflict and not just the ramifications.

Al-Maliki strongly condemned Israel’s escalation in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem, and said it was evidence that Israel was keen on enforcing a Jewish and Israeli character across the holy city by replacing the indigenous Palestinian population with settler newcomers.

“The focus of Palestinian diplomacy remains on the issue of Jerusalem,” said al-Maliki, as he affirmed that the Palestinian diplomacy has “achieved greater interest in the Palestinian cause”.

He stressed that Jerusalem was the focal point of the Palestinian diplomacy and the key to ending the conflict in the region.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency