By Ahmet Genturk
ANKARA (AA) – A Turkish NGO platform issued a statement Monday condemning Israeli attacks in Jerusalem and called on the international community to act.
The recent events were sparked by the Israeli occupation forces’ attempts to break up demonstrations against the forceful expulsion of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Kudus Surasi said in a statement.
Noting that the latest Israeli actions are part of a plan for ending the possibility of a viable Palestinian state, the statement underscored that they are in violation of international law and amount to a war crime.
Calling on the international community to hold Israel responsible for its systematic violations of international law and human rights, the statement said that by acting now, they will be “contributing to peace, justice and stability in the Middle East and beyond.”
Kudus Surasi along with Memur-Sen, a confederation of public servants trade unions, planned to march to the Israeli Embassy in Ankara late Monday to protest the Israeli attacks, it announced on its social media account.
At least 305 people were injured Monday when Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and attacked Palestinians who were on guard to prevent possible raids by extremist Jews.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
