Singapore remains 'deeply concerned' by Jerusalem tensions, urges restraint: MFA
Palestinian Muslims gather at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City on Apr 17, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Wednesday (Apr 20) expressed concern over recent tensions at a holy site in Jerusalem.
“Singapore remains deeply concerned by recent developments in Jerusalem, including on the Haram al-Sharif / Temple Mount," said a spokesperson.
"We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any actions that would further escalate tensions.”
The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam and it is also the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. It has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Over the weekend, nearly two hundred people were wounded in clashes around the site, raising fears of a slide back to wider conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The clashes began at a tense time when the Jewish Passover festival coincides with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
They also follow deadly violence in Israel and the occupied West Bank starting in late March, in which 36 people have been killed.
