|
ISTANBUL, May 18-- Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on Friday reaffirmed a call for a multi-sided international mechanism to be set up to help resolve the conflict with Israel, as the Islamic world is mulling over how to respond to Israeli violence against Palestinians and the U.S. relocation of its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. Addressing an extraordinary meeting of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, the Palestinian premier asked the United Nations for an international protection of Palestinians and a probe into the killings of more than 60 Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces on Monday at the Gaza border during demonstrations against the U.S. embassy move. "We have to take practical steps and mobilize resources for Jerusalem to help Palestinians to stand up," he said. "We have already mentioned the importance of the creation of a multi-sided international mechanism that would help the resolution of the conflict." The Palestinian side has rejected any U.S. role as a mediator in the peace process with Israel after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December last year, as Palestinians want an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called for the special OIC meeting to forge a united front against Israel, demanded action for Palestinians "massacred by Israeli bandits" to show the whole world that "humanity is not dead." | 
