3 Palestinians were wounded and a fourth arrested in Nablus.. The European Union calls for protecting the status quo in Jerusalem

Washington: We look forward to working with the Netanyahu government and will continue to support the two-state solution

An ambulance passes amidst clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces during a raid in Nablus.

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Washington affirmed its aspiration to work with the new Israeli government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, to promote peace, security and prosperity in the region, and its continued support for the two-state solution.

While three Palestinians were wounded and a fourth was arrested yesterday when the Israeli army raided Nablus in the northern West Bank, the European Union called for protecting the status quo and holy places in East Jerusalem, including Christian ones.

In detail, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed the United States' aspiration to work with the new Israeli government headed by Netanyahu, to promote peace, security and prosperity in the region and advance the interests and values ​​that have formed the core of US-Israeli relations for decades.

"The deep bonds between the United States and Israel have always been based on an unwavering commitment to Israel's security and some shared ideals, including democratic principles and a vision of an Israeli state at peace with its neighbors," Blinken said, in a statement by the US State Department.

He continued, "In the words of US President Joe Biden, we will work with the new government to take advantage of the many opportunities and jointly address the challenges in Israel and the Middle East, including the threats posed by Iran. We will also continue to support the two-state solution and oppose policies that jeopardize the viability of this solution." life or conflict with our common interests and values.

The US Secretary of State renewed his country's commitment to promoting equal measures of freedom, justice, security and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

US President Joe Biden had congratulated Netanyahu, and confirmed in a written statement that he looked forward to cooperating with the Israeli prime minister, with whom he has been friends for decades, "to address together the many challenges facing Israel and the Middle East region, including threats from Iran."

Biden added that the US government has been making efforts since the beginning of his assumption of office to support peace in the region.

Meanwhile, three Palestinians were wounded and a fourth was arrested yesterday when the Israeli army raided Nablus in the northern West Bank, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

Palestinian security sources said that army forces stormed Nablus from several axes, and surrounded a house in the Old City, amid violent clashes between them and a number of young men.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Nablus stated that a young man was wounded by shrapnel in the neck and another with live bullets in the chest, in addition to a volunteer paramedic in the Medical Relief Society who was wounded by a bullet in the back, after which they were taken to the hospital.

Eyewitnesses spoke of clashes between Palestinian activists and army forces in different areas of Nablus during the raid, which lasted for several hours.

Meanwhile, Hebrew media reported that the Israeli army withdrew from Nablus, after it arrested an activist in the armed group "The Lions' Den" after besieging his house while he was found in possession of a weapon, without further details.

For its part, the European Union called yesterday to protect the status quo and holy places in East Jerusalem, including Christian ones.

A statement issued by the representative of the European Union, in agreement with the heads of missions of the bloc countries in Jerusalem and Ramallah, and published by the official Palestinian News Agency (Wafa), stressed the necessity of preserving the special status and character of Jerusalem and its old town.

The statement indicated that on the 27th of this month, members of the Elad settlement organization, accompanied by the Israeli police, seized a property in the Wadi Hilweh area in Silwan, which the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate had been renting for decades to a tenant in Jerusalem.

The statement expressed the deep concern of the EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah about the repercussions of this measure on the property rights of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and Christian churches in Jerusalem in general, including in the Old City.

The statement stressed that stopping attempts to seize the property of Christian churches is a must, because they constitute a serious threat to the peaceful coexistence between the three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem.

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