Lebanese PM Condemns Israeli Attacks on Palestinians

Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss said on Saturday that the recent surge of violence between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protestors in Jerusalem amply testified Israel's barbarity.

Preserving the Arab character of the holy city of Jerusalem has become a pan-Arab duty and demand, the National News Agency of Lebanon (NNA) quoted Hoss as saying in a statement.

The Palestinian people living in the Israeli-occupied areas are ready to sacrifice anything dear to them in order to reclaim their national rights, said the minister, whose country currently hosts estimated 350,000 Palestinian refugees in 12 camps.

Hoss urged the international community, including the major super powers, to move swiftly to stop renewed Israeli aggressions.

He also called on Arab nations to join forces and exercise solidarity in facing up to Zionist threats.

Clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli forces unleashed by Israeli right-wing Likud leader Ariel Sharon's visit to a holy site in East Jerusalem, sacred to both Jews and Muslims, entered its third day Saturday, leaving at least 15 Palestinians dead and hundreds injured.

The holy area, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, is the site of Jewish temple and home to Islamic shrines Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque that were built on the site of the Jewish temple.

The waves of protests later spread to the West Bank and Gaza, where nine Palestinians, including two Palestinian policemen, were killed Saturday.



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