Israel instigates religious war, says Palestinian government

Jerusalem: The Palestinian government warned on Tuesday of the repercussions of the Israeli measures against Palestinians, including provoking intense anger and a religious war.

During its weekly meeting, the government condemned the "continuous Israeli attack on Al-Aqsa mosque and Jerusalem, the ongoing siege on the old city of Jerusalem, cordoning neighbourhoods with checkpoints and cement blocks and imposing collective punishments on the Arab citizens of the city."

A statement by the government called upon the international community to "assume its legal and moral responsibilities of preventing Israel from continuing its crimes and aggression in Hebron, Jerusalem and all other Palestinian areas."

This government exceptionally held its meeting in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, the city that witnessed the highest level of violence since the beginning of the current wave of tension between Palestinians and Israel that broke out in October.

Of the total 74 Palestinians killed since the spark of violence, 29 of them were from Hebron, the Palestinian Health Ministry stated.

The government called upon the UN Security Council and General Assembly to oblige Israel to remove settlement outposts in the old city of Hebron, and re-opening Shuhada street that once resembled the heart of the city's economy.

The government demanded to allow the Palestinian security forces to re-deploy in the old city of Hebron to protect "Palestinians from the settler crimes," as well as eliminating all new Israeli measures such as putting age-restrictions on Palestinians' access to the Ibrahimi mosque in the city, and not allowing the international presence observers to do their job.

The government announced a series of project to support the "resilience" of Hebron residents, including launching 20 projects with a total value of $7,238,000 to support health, education, and infrastructure in the city as well as providing aid to people living in the old city and areas surrounded by the Israeli settlements in Hebron.

The government called upon the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately open an investigation in the Israeli "crimes against the unarmed Palestinian people."