Egypt, Jordan FMs reject Israeli violence against Palestinians

CAIRO - The Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers expressed on Sunday their rejection of the recent Israeli violence against Palestinian protestors, calling on the international community to take its responsibilities to protect the Palestinian rights.

"The international community should rise in protection of the Palestinian people and work on pushing forward peacemaking efforts and achieving what the international community agreed upon in this regard," Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.

At least 15 Palestinians were shot dead and over 1,400 others were injured Friday as Israeli forces opened fire towards Palestinian protestors marking the 42nd anniversary of the Land Day through a rally at the borders between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

The demonstrators demanded the right of return for those Palestinian refugees who fled or forcibly driven out of their towns and villages when Israel was created in 1948 with Western support.

Shoukry said that Egypt will continue calling for achieving peace through relevant international references to realize the interests and rights of the Palestinian people.

Israel is blamed by the international community for the deadlock of the peace process with the Palestinians due to its settlement expansion policy on Palestinian occupied territories.

The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the light of the UN-proposed two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders.

The Jordanian foreign minister described the situation of the Palestinian cause as "difficult," lamenting the lack of any progress to achieve comprehensive, permanent settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"The violence witnessed in Gaza and practiced by Israel against the Palestinian people is a serious indicator that we are going through a stage that may be more difficult," Safadi told the press conference in Cairo.

"What is required is to move efficiently towards finding a political horizon to give the Palestinian people hope to exercise their right to live," he added.

"We reiterate our position that condemns every action made by Israel that targets killing the opportunities for peace or undermining the two-state solution," Safadi said.

The United States is the number one backer of Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced plans to move Washington's capital in Israel from Tel Aviv to the disputable holy city of Jerusalem despite regional and international uproar.

"Jerusalem is a red line," Safadi continued, expressing Arab rejection of recognizing the city as the capital of Israel and referring to the move as violation of the international law.

Shoukry and Safadi urged the United States to help create a political horizon for a settlement of the 70-year-old conflict.