ANKARA

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for respecting and upholding the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem amid tensions between Palestinians and Israel.

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Jerusalem,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Dujarric said the UN chief reiterated “call for the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem to be upheld and respected.”

On Friday dozens of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Guterres urged all leaders on all sides “to help calm the situation” and to immediately end “provocations on the Holy Esplanade” in order “to prevent further escalation.”

He also underlined “his commitment to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements."

Tensions have been running high across the Palestinian territories since the beginning of April amid repeated Israeli arrest campaigns in the West Bank.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara