Kerry meets Abbas, Jordan's king over situation in Jerusalem

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed on Saturday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah II of Jordan the situation in Jerusalem and ways to restore calm.

"Abbas met with Kerry in Amman and was briefed on steps Kerry is taking with the Israelis to reach a truce and calm the situation," Palestinian Authority Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told reporters in Amman after the meeting between Kerry and Abbas.

At the meeting, Abbas stressed the immediate need to stop attacks by Israeli settlers and preserve the holy sites in Jerusalem and the current historic status quo in Jerusalem before any further discussions or steps, Abu Rudeineh said.

"We are currently waiting to see if the Israelis will take any serious measure in this regard so we can deal with them," he added.

Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat told reporters that Abbas presented documents to Kerry, detailing the violations committed by the Israelis against the Palestinians including the killing of Palestinians.

Erekat said Abbas called for an international protection to the Palestinian people at his meeting with Kerry, noting that Abbas also urged international intervention to stop Israeli violations and aggression.

Kerry said the U.S. will take measures to keep the status quo in al-Aqsa Mosque, said Erekat.

After the meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, Kerry said Israel and Jordan had agreed on new measures for Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque compound, including 24-hour security cameras.

Also, King Abdullah II of Jordan talked with Kerry on the latest developments in the Middle East, including the situation in Syria and Iraq, the state-run Petra news agency reported. Endit