UNITED NATIONS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday expressed his concern about the potential risk of escalating violence in the Old City of Jerusalem.
"I am particularly concerned about the potential risk of escalating violence, urge all political, religious and community leaders to refrain from provocative action and rhetoric, and call on Israel to demonstrate restraint," said Guterres in a statement.
"It is essential to fully respect the status quo at the holy sites as before July 14," he said.
On that day, three Arab-Israeli gunmen opened fire and killed two Israeli police and were later shot dead inside the compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, which is known as the Temple Mount to Jews.
After the shootings, Israel installed metal detectors and surveillance cameras at the entrances of the mosque, sparking widespread Muslim protests including sit-ins and street prayings that sometimes turned into deadly clashes.
Israel has decided to remove the metal detectors and replace them with "advanced technology", believed to be high resolution cameras. However, discontent persists despite the decision with continued appeals for returning to the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque before July 14.
