Palestinian president seeks EU's help to defuse crisis

BRUSSELS

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned that the tense situation between Israelis and Palestinians could deteriorate further as he sought EU’s help to deescalate the ongoing crisis.

"The situation in Palestine is extremely serious and grave and may even deteriorate. This is my fear," Abbas said in Brussels on Monday. "The main reason is the feeling of disappointment [among] the young generation," who feel that there is "no hope", he added.

Abbas met with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels Monday evening to discuss ways to deescalate the violence. Three Palestinians were shot dead in the West Bank on Monday as efforts to reduce tensions over Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound by installing cameras at the site failed.

Abbas reiterated his criticism of the Israeli government over what he called its "non-respect" for the rules at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque, which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

"What we are looking for...is to come back and stick and commit to this status quo [over holy sites] that unfortunately has been neglected and ignored by the Israeli government," he said.

With Palestinians accusing Israel of trying to seize administrative control of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, and Israel claiming the compound is being used by Palestinian youth to stage unruly protests, the installation of cameras was proposed this weekend as a means of verifying the conflicting allegations.

The current wave of violence in the region was sparked by protests last month against restrictions on Palestinian entry to the site, which were announced amid a series of Jewish holidays.