UN chief voices grave concern over bloody Palestinian-Israeli clashes

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April 15 voiced grave concern over the deteriorating security situation in Jerusalem and called for efforts to de-escalate the tension, Report informs referring to Xinhua.

Palestinians clashed with Israeli police forces on April 15 at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, leaving more than 100 people wounded.

The secretary-general called on leaders on all sides to help calm the situation. Provocations on the holy site, sacred to both Jews and Muslims, must stop to prevent further escalation, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

Guterres reiterated his call for the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem to be upheld and respected, said the statement.

The tension between Israel and the Palestinians has flared up in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over the past three weeks as the Jewish festival of Passover overlaps with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.