ISTANBUL

Qatar on Wednesday condemned an Israeli decision to confiscate Palestinian land in Silwan neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem to build an air train.

This decision is “a flagrant violation of the principles and provisions of international law, and the relevant USESCO resolutions,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Doha called on the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities to oblige Israel to stop its measures aiming at changing the historical and legal status of the city of Jerusalem.

It warned against Israel’s exploiting “the international community's preoccupation with developments in Gaza Strip to pass unilateral decisions that violate the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people.”

“The Israeli decision will hinder the achievement of the two-state solution, which is the only way to achieve sustainable peace in the region,” the ministry said.

The ministry reiterated support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israeli authorities notified 30 Palestinian families in Silwan earlier this month to vacate their homes within two months to build an air train in the area, according to the Jerusalem governor’s office.

Jerusalem remains at the core of the perennial Israel-Palestine conflict, as Palestinians want Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio