Arab League condemns evicting Palestinian lawmakers

The Arab League (AL) on Sunday condemned an Israeli decision to expel four Palestinian lawmakers from Jerusalem.

The pan-Arab organization described in a statement the decision as a "severe blow to democracy and a defiance of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention," Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.

The statement called for the international Quartet, the United Nations and international organizations to compel Israel to reverse the decision.

Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator, Sunday unveiled contacts between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Washington to press Israel not to evict the Hamas lawmakers from Jerusalem.

Eviction of the four members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) was "a severe violation of agreements" between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Israel, the senior Palestinian diplomat said.

Earlier in June, Israel announced four Hamas-aligned PLC members, namely Mohammad Abu Tir, Mohammas Totah, Khaled Abu Arafa and Ahmed Atoun were stripped of their residency rights and given one month to leave Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Maan news agency.

Source: Xinhua