UAE, Saudi, Turkish and Cyprus condemn Israeli attacks on al-Aqsa

ABU DHABI (Agencies) - Israeli police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinian worshippers in their raid on Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque late Friday.

The attack on Islam's third holiest site and around East Jerusalem, which injured 205 Palestinians and 17 police officers, came amid mounting anger over the planned evictions.

"Saudi Arabia rejects Israel's plans and measures to evict dozens of Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem and impose Israeli sovereignty over them," the kingdom's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement as reported by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya.

The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel last year, "strongly condemned" the attacks and the potential evictions, in a statement by the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa al-Marar, and urged Israeli authorities to reduce tensions.

"The UAE urged the need for Israeli authorities to assume their responsibilities in line with international law to provide necessary protection to Palestinian citizens," the statement, carried by state news agency WAM, read.

The UAE and Israel agreed to normalize ties last year as part of a United States-brokered agreement.

Turkey also condemned Israeli police for raiding the Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacking Muslim worshippers with stun grenades.

Russia Saturday condemned attacks on civilians by Israeli police at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and urged both sides to refrain from escalating violence.

"This development of events is perceived with deep concern in Moscow. We strongly condemn attacks against civilians," the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding, "We call on all parties to refrain from any steps fraught with the escalation of violence."