Following the visit of the Israeli minister to Al-Aqsa, the UN Security Council will discuss the UAE’s and China’s request.
The contentious visit of an Israeli minister to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem that has enraged Palestinians will be the topic of discussion at the UN Security Council meeting on Thursday.
The United Arab Emirates and China have requested that the 15-member Council meet at the United Nations headquarters in New York at 3:00 p.m. (2000 GMT).
There have been concerns that Israel’s new national security minister, controversial Itamar Ben-Gvir, could start a war during his visit on Tuesday.
The third holiest site in Islam is Al-Aqsa mosque, which can be found in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem. Jews refer to it as the Temple Mount because it is their most sacred location.
Non-Muslims are permitted to visit the location at specific times, but they are not permitted to pray there, according to a long-standing rule.
Palestinians have expressed disapproval of the growing number of Jews who have secretly prayed at the compound, most of whom are Israeli nationalists.
The fragile arrangement at Jerusalem’s holy sites was threatened, according to warnings from Western governments.
The visit of Ben-Gvir sparked outrage across the globe, including from the United States, a long-time ally of Israel.
The statement that the Secretary-General “calls on all to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around Jerusalem” was reiterated on Wednesday by UN chief Antonio Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Over the years, the UN Security Council has approved a number of resolutions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and supports the Middle East peace solution of two states.