Jenin
JeninNasser Ishtayeh/Flash 90

The Sultanate of Oman on Monday condemned Israel’s counterterrorism operation in Jenin.

In a statement quoted by the Oman News Agency, the Foreign Ministry expressed “its firm position and support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, in accordance with the two-state solution, relevant Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

Oman also “reaffirms the importance of the international community assuming its responsibilities in this regard in accordance with international law, and in order to achieve a just and comprehensive peace,” the statement added.

Oman and Israel have no official diplomatic relations, though the country has been named as a possibility to join the Accords, following the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

While the two countries have no official relations, Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority announced earlier this year that its airspace will be open for all flights leaving Israel. Oman thus joined Saudi Arabia, which opened its airspace to flights from Israel last year.

Last week it was reported that Oman's Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, plans to visit Ramallah in the coming weeks and has contacted the Israeli Foreign Ministry to coordinate a possible visit to the Temple Mount.

Earlier on Monday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Israel’s counterterrorism operation in the city of Jenin.

“We are deeply concerned that with these attacks, the current tension in the region could trigger a new spiral of violence,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted in the Anadolu news agency, reiterating Turkey’s call on Israel “to act with common sense and stop such actions.”

Also on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concerns over the Israeli counterterrorism operation in Jenin.

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the developments in Jenin. He affirms that all military operations must be conducted with full respect for international humanitarian law,” said a spokesperson for Guterres in a statement.

Earlier, the White House stated that the Biden administration was watching the operation "with concern" and called on the Palestinian Authority not to follow through on its announcement that security cooperation with Israel would be stopped.