RAMALLAH, August 3, 2026 (WAFA) — The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned the attack carried out by a group of colonists on the Armenian Monastery in East Jerusalem. The attack, which included spitting at the monastery's entrance and throwing stones, constitutes a new provocation targeting the Christian presence and its holy sites in the Holy City.

In a statement, the Committee affirmed that this attack is part of a continuous series of colonist attacks targeting churches, mosques, clergy, and holy sites. It added that the incident reflects escalating settlement policies aimed at imposing new realities across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, while Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip continues, in what it described as a violation of international law and freedom of worship.

The Committee added that the attack coincided with the continued crimes committed against the Palestinian people, which resulted in the killing of 18 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This reflects a persistent pattern of violations targeting Palestinians and their holy sites, and underscores the dangerous escalation taking place throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.

The committee called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities, to pressure the occupying authorities to halt colonist attacks and ongoing violations against the Palestinian people and their holy sites, to hold those responsible accountable, and to provide international protection for Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as they are an integral part of human and religious heritage.

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