Egypt condemned the Israeli government's decision to build 500 new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem in a move considered to be in defiance of international law and Geneva conventions as well a blow to the efforts made to restore peace talks, said foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Badr Abdel-Ati.
The decision to construct additional settlements in an Arab neighbourhood comes a week after the Israeli PM's decision to build 1,000 new settlement units.
Abdel-Ati added that Egypt also condemned the Israeli aggression against Al-Aqsa mosque and the continuous storming of the mosque by radical Jewish settlers as well Israeli officials.
Egypt is also calling on the international community to condemn these decisions and to pressure Israel to put a stop to them.
Egypt also rejected the official Israeli restrictions on the Palestinians right to practice their religious rituals in Al-Aqsa mosque in what is considered to be a violation of the rights of Palestinians.
In his statement, ambassador Abdel-Ati said he considered the decision a blow to the efforts made to restore talks between the Palestinian and Israeli sides for a two-state solution based on the 5 June 1967 borders.
The United States and the Palestinian Authority have already condemned on Monday the Israeli decision to extend its plans to build more settlements in East Jerusalem.
Palestinians have been demonstrating for weeks in East Jerusalem against Israel's restrictions and violations of international law.
Short link: