Jerusalem: The Palestinian government on Monday strongly condemned the arbitrary decision by the Israeli occupation authorities barring the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Dr. Ashraf Al Awar, from entering the West Bank for six months.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Palestinian government described the move as an egregious escalation and violation of international law and signed agreements, stressing that it undermines the government's ability to carry out its duties.

The government affirmed that this act is a calculated attempt to tighten the isolation of Jerusalem from its national and institutional periphery, as part of a systematic policy aimed at eradicating the official Palestinian presence in the city and imposing new realities that serve Israel's annexationist and Judaization agenda.

Earlier Monday, the Israeli intelligence services summoned Dr. Al Awar, and interrogated him under the pretext of conducting activities on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority, and handed him a six-month exclusion order barring him from entering the West Bank.