Saudi monarch expresses support for Palestinian people

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Wednesday strongly condemned Israel’s violent acts at Al-Aqsa Mosque and measures taken in Jerusalem.

The Saudi official news agency SPA said King Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed the Israeli attacks in Jerusalem in a phone call.

King Salman stressed that the kingdom stands with the Palestinian people until they reclaim their legitimate rights.

Israel continues to heavily bombard Gaza, taking the death toll among Palestinians to 65, including 16 children and five women, with more than 1,000 injured and heavy damage to residential areas across Gaza.

Tensions have been running high in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem for over a month as Israeli settlers swarmed in after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families.

Palestinians protesting in solidarity with the residents of Sheikh Jarrah have been targeted by Israeli forces.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara