Jordanian-Palestinian cooperation and coordination is vital to block settlement expansion in occupied east Jerusalem, according to Ahmed Qurei, PLO Executive Committee member and Head of the Department for Jerusalem Affairs.

In a press statement released on Sunday, Qurei stressed that coordination between the Jordanian and Palestinian leaderships, alongside Jordan's role in protecting the Islamic and Christian holy sites, helped pressure Israeli occupation forces to rescind their measures at Al Aqsa Mosque.

Last Friday, Israeli forces reportedly detained five Palestinians after thousands performed Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the aftermath of a two-week long civil disobedience campaign against Israeli security measures at the holy site.

Jordan is the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and has repeatedly condemned what it says are violations of rules at the site, Islam's third holiest.

Last week, Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed that defending Jerusalem and its holy sites is a continuous process that both the King and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs follow up on daily.

Over the past few weeks, Jerusalem has been a topic of interest for Jordanians, with marches and protests organized across the Kingdom in support of Palestinians, who had protested Israel’s application of dehumanizing security measures at the gates of Al Aqsa Mosque following the death of two police officers in a gunfight with three Palestinian assailants.