United States shares 'serious concerns' with Israel over planned evictions

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called his Israeli counterpart on Sunday to let him know the United States has "serious concerns" over the planned evictions of Palestinian families from homes in East Jerusalem, the White House said in a statement.

On Sunday night, clashes continued in Jerusalem between Palestinians and Israeli police, with the demonstrators, outraged over the evictions, throwing rocks and water bottles at officers, who responded with rubber bullets and stun grenades. Palestinian medics say hundreds of people have been injured in the violence.

During the call with Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, Sullivan "encouraged the Israeli government to pursue appropriate measures to ensure calm" amid Jerusalem Day, an Israeli national holiday marking Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in 1967.

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Sullivan also made it clear that the Biden administration is committed to Israel's security and building peace and stability in the region, the White House said, with Sullivan and Ben-Shabbat both agreeing that "the launching of rocket attacks and incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel is unacceptable and must be condemned."