Saudi Arabia leads condemnation of attack on UNRWA headquarters in occupied Jerusalem

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday condemned the Israeli settler attack on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees headquarters in occupied Jerusalem.

The Kingdom said it holds the “Israeli occupation” responsible for the recurring crimes against innocent civilians and aid workers, according to a statement issued by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

It urged the international community to take serious action in halting Israel’s human rights violations. “The occupation must be held accountable for its ongoing crimes that violate international law,” the statement said.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini earlier said that a group of Israeli protesters had attacked the agency’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem after calls for protests against UNRWA by an Israeli municipal official.

Jordan condemned the attack as a “blatant defiance of international law, which aims to protect UN facilities.”

It called on the international community to enforce international humanitarian law “immediately and effectively,” and oblige Israel to prevent attacks on relief workers who “play a major humanitarian role in providing aid and services to Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.”