The EU expressed deep concerns on Monday over the latest wave of tensions in occupied Jerusalem and called on Israel to respect Palestinian holy sites, Anadolu news agency reported.
At meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministers reportedly issued a statement calling on the Israeli authorities to refrain from using any violence during the on-going clashes with the Palestinians, noting that violence only leads to more instability.
The ministers called on Jordan, which oversees the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, to take tangible measures in keeping with its peace agreement with Israel in order to lessen the tensions.
In addition, the ministers expressed their deep concern over Israel’s intention to continue building new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, stressing that they “deeply deplore” and “strongly oppose” the move and threatening to take new steps to guarantee the existence of two states in the region.
The EU’s statement also called on Israel to lift the eight-year siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, noting that if the Palestinians and the Israelis can commit to the two-state solution, then this would positively affect their relationship with the EU.