The Jordanian government on Sunday strongly denounced the breaking into the Muslims sacred shrine al- Aqsa mosque by Israeli soldiers along with a group of Jewish radicals, which resulted in injury of some Palestinians, Xinhua quoted Jordan News Agency Petra as reporting.
"Jordan condemns breaking into the mosque by Israeli troops as this is a provocative act that is likely to increase tensions," Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Nabil Sharif said in a statement.
He said breaking into the holy mosque is likely to lead to more violence and threatens the region's stability and security.
He noted that Jordan rejects any attempt by the Israeli troops to violate the sanctity of al-Aqsa mosque and the holy sites in Jerusalem as this sanctity is guaranteed by international resolutions, laws and conventions that protect holy sites from any violation.
Earlier Sunday, clashes erupted between Palestinians in the eastern part of Jerusalem and the Israeli police as a group of Jewish radicals broke into the yard of al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest shrine to Muslims. About 16 Palestinians and several Israeli police were injured in the clashes, according to media reports.
Sharif said breaking into the mosque incited violence at a time when international efforts are intensified to launch Palestinian- Israeli peace negotiations.
He underlined Jordan's rejection of all Israeli measures that harm the mosque and the holy city of Jerusalem.
According to the UN Security Council, East Jerusalem is considered an occupied territory.
The Jordanian government also summoned charge d'affaires of the Israeli embassy in Amman Sunday to express its protest and condemnation of breaking into the mosque and urge Israel to stop its provocative activities that threaten peace opportunities, according to Petra.
In response to the incident, Jordan's influential Muslim Brotherhood movement leader Hammam Saeed on Sunday called for annulling the peace treaty Jordan and Israel signed in 1994 and expelling the Israeli ambassador from Amman.
He said in a statement that breaking into the mosque killed hopes for peace and reaching a settlement to the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, calling on the Arab countries to take action to deal with the Israeli stark violation of the sanctity of the holy shrine.
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