The call came in a statement issued by Ali Zidan Abu Zuhri, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Chairman of the Palestinian National Committee for Tangible and Intangible Heritage, in response to the organization of a settlement conference in the courtyards of the Ibrahimi Mosque with the participation of Israeli officials. Abu Zuhri and the international community demanded immediate practical steps to protect the Ibrahimi Mosque and Islamic and Christian holy sites, emphasizing the need to impose deterrent measures against the Israeli ‘colonial system.’ He affirmed that the Ibrahimi Mosque, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is subjected to a systematic Judaization policy aimed at erasing the Palestinian historical identity. The Palestinian official held the Israeli government fully responsible for the consequences of these violations, warning against attempts to turn the conflict into an open religious conflict.
The war on the Gaza Strip continues since October 7, 2023, and despite Arab and international mediation attempts and opposition voices within Israel, Netanyahu’s government insists on continuing the fight. It recently announced approval of a plan to take control of Gaza City, which international warnings suggest will lead to a humanitarian disaster that will increase the suffering of the enclave’s residents, with the war having killed about 60,000 people and injured about 163,000 others.
For his part, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed Moscow’s concern over the escalation in the Gaza Strip and the civilian casualties, affirming that Moscow is closely monitoring the situation and looks forward to a return to the path of peace.
