Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi has urged Israeli officials to work towards de-escalating tensions with the Palestinians, especially during the holy month of Ramadan which begins on March 22.
Emadi met in the past few days with a number of Israeli and Palestinian officials as part of Qatar’s effort to prevent further deterioration of the situation. He also met with US and European Union representatives.
During his talks with Israeli officials, the Qatari envoy demanded that Israel “refrain from escalating the situation, especially during Ramadan, and stop proving the feelings of all Muslims,” according to a statement issued by the Gaza Reconstruction Committee, which is headed by Emadi.
He also urged the Israeli officials not to change the status quo at al-Aqsa Mosque, halt all measures against Palestinian security prisoners and stop incursions by the IDF into Palestinian cities, the statement said.
In Ramallah, Emadi met with PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh and discussed with him the latest developments in the Palestinian arena.
Last weekend, Emadi met in Doha with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who was in Qatar to attend the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.
The Qatari envoy is also scheduled to hold talks in the Gaza Strip with Hamas officials to discuss ways of preventing a confrontation with Israel.
Palestinians warn: Israeli actions in West Bank, Jerusalem can lead to violence
On the eve of Emadi’s visit, Hamas and other Palestinian factions warned that Israel’s actions in the West Bank and Jerusalem could lead to more violence.
The factions warned that Israel’s ongoing military raids into Palestinian cities and villages would lead to an “explosion.” They also repeated their warning against continued visits by Jews to the Temple Mount and accused the Israeli government of seeking to alter the status quo at the holy site.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials have called on Palestinians to protest new Israeli restrictions imposed on the security prisoners in Israeli jails. The prisoners have launched a series of protests against the restrictions and are threatening to go on hunger strike later this month.