UN Security Council to discuss tensions in East Jerusalem

UNITED NATIONS

The UN Security Council will meet Monday to discuss the escalating tensions in East Jerusalem, according to diplomatic sources.

The council will hold a closed-door session at 9 a.m. local time (1300 GMT) to discuss the crisis, which began with the forced expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood by Israeli settlers.

Palestinians in Jerusalem in recent days have protested in solidarity with residents of Sheikh Jarrah amid attacks by Israeli police.

The crisis stems from a ruling by the Israeli Central Court in East Jerusalem, which approved a decision to evict seven Palestinian families from their homes in favor of Israeli settlers at the beginning of this year.

Israeli police attempted to disperse worshippers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound Friday evening using stun grenades and tear gas. Hundreds of Palestinians were injured in the attacks, which have been condemned worldwide.

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.

*Writing by Dilan Pamuk