The United Arab Emirates has warned that any steps to change Jerusalem's historical identity threaten peace and called on Israel to end the violence following the latest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, AP reported.

The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is concerned about acts of violence committed by right-wing extremist groups in occupied East Jerusalem. 

The ministry called on the Israeli authorities to take responsibility for de-escalation and put an end to aggression and actions that remain tensions and hostile.

The UAE has warned that it is necessary to preserve the historical identity of Jerusalem and apply the utmost restraint to avoid sliding the region into a new level of instability that threatens the world.

The immediate spark to the unrest was Israel's decision to barricade an area outside Jerusalem's Old City, where Palestinian residents traditionally gather in the evenings during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The move heightened Palestinian concerns about Israel's control over East Jerusalem.

Hundreds of young Palestinians took to the streets every evening to protest. Crowds threw stones, Molotov cocktails, and other objects at the police, and the police used stun grenades and water cannons to disperse them.