AMMAN, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned the Israeli parliament's approval of a law prohibiting the establishment of new diplomatic missions in East Jerusalem.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry asserted that all Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic composition and character of the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, are deemed null and legally ineffective.

Sufian Qudah, the official spokesperson for the ministry, emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, must halt all ongoing violations and breaches of the historical and legal status quo in occupied Jerusalem, and cease its policy of imposing new realities in the area amid its continued offensives against the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Lebanon.

He stressed that all Israeli attempts and measures aimed at annexing occupied Jerusalem constitute a violation of international law, UN Security Council resolutions, and the recent advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice.

Israeli media reported that the parliament, or Knesset, on Tuesday approved a law prohibiting the establishment of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem that are not embassies, a move aimed at bolstering Israel's claim to the city.

The law will not affect the status of already existing diplomatic missions in the city.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. Since then, the entire city has been under Israeli control. The Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law in 1980 to formalize Israel's effective annexation of East Jerusalem, a move that has been rejected by most of the international community. Enditem

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