Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud AbbasReuters

Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned on Thursday what he called "the dangerous Israeli escalation against our people and their holy places."

A statement of condemnation issued on behalf of Abbas’ office referred to "the heinous crime committed by the occupying forces in the city of Jenin where a number of residents fell and 14 were injured, three of them in serious condition."

The statement was referring to the incident early Thursday morning in which terrorists in Jenin opened fire on IDF soldiers who were operating in the area to apprehend suspects in recent terrorist attacks.

The soldiers had encircled a house in the city belonging to one suspect when shots were fired at them from the building. In the resulting exchange of fire, three terrorists were neutralized. One IDF fighter from was lightly injured in the shoulder.

In Thursday’s statement, Abbas’ bureau also warned of an "escalation" in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and throughout Judea and Samaria, noting that the "daily killing" of Palestinians and that "crimes of settlers" would drag the region into a state of security tension.

Abbas’ bureau urged the international community and the US administration to act immediately to stop Israel and prosecute it over its "crimes" which, it warned, would lead to an "explosion."