Palestinian committee condemns settler attack on Armenian monastery in East Jerusalem

• Palestinian committee condemns settler attack on Armenian Monastery in East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Presidential Committee for Church Affairs on Monday condemned what it said was an attack by 'Israeli' settlers on the Armenian Monastery in occupied East Jerusalem, calling for international protection of religious sites. 

 
In a statement, the committee said a group of settlers spat at the entrance to the monastery and threw stones, describing the incident as a new provocation targeting the Christian presence and its holy sites in the city.

Read more: Armed 'Israeli' settlers attack Armenian Church in occupied Jerusalem

The committee said the incident was part of what it described as a continuing series of settler attacks targeting churches, mosques, clergy and religious sites. It argued that the attacks reflect escalating settlement policies aimed at imposing new realities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, while citing the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip as a violation of international law and freedom of worship.

The committee added that the incident coincided with what it described as continuing crimes against Palestinians, noting that 18 Palestinians were killed in Gaza. It said the developments underscore an ongoing pattern of violations affecting both the Palestinian people and their religious sites, warning of escalating tensions across the occupied Palestinian territories.

The committee urged the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities by pressuring Israeli authorities to halt settler attacks and ongoing violations against Palestinians and their religious sites.

It also called for those responsible to be held accountable and for international protection to be provided for Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, describing them as an integral part of the world's religious and cultural heritage.