RAMALLAH, December 19, 2011 (WAFA) – Palestinian Muslim and Christian senior figures Monday warned of the rise in Israeli settler attacks against Muslim and Christian holy places, following Jewish rabbis’ calls to murder Palestinians and Arabs.

Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Yousef Adees, and Assistant Undersecretary for Christian affairs in the Ministry of Awqaf, Hanna Issa, warned of the increasing number of settler attacks launched against Palestinian holy places.

Adees called on the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations to take a firm position against these crimes and protect Palestinians from these frequent attacks.

Issa said that over 96 assaults against Muslim and Christian holy places took place since the beginning of 2011 in the West Bank, while 46 assaults occurred in Jerusalem.

He said, “The main purpose of these attacks is to expel Palestinian residents of Jerusalem from their city.”

Issa called on the international community and Security Council to interfere and stop these attacks, which violate the Fourth Geneva convention of 1949 and the Hague convention of 1954.

M.H./F.J.