Ramallah, July 23 (Petra) — The Higher Presidential Committee for
Church Affairs (HPCCA) in Palestine on Thursday condemned an Israeli
escalation at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In a statement, HPCCA said thousands of settlers stormed the mosque’s
yards under military protection, allegedly marking the so-called
“Temple destruction anniversary.”

The committee said settlers raised Israeli flags, sung Israel’s
national anthem and erected a tent inside the mosque’s grounds,
calling the incursion an attempt to impose new facts on the ground
and undermine the historical and legal status quo.

Ahead of the storming, the occupation barred the Grand Mufti of
Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories from entering Al-Aqsa
Mosque, the committee said.

The move is part of a broader policy to restrict Palestinian
religious authorities and pave the way for further settler incursions
and violations of the mosque’s sanctity and religious and historical
standing.

Overall, the committee said these acts were not isolated violations
but part of continuous efforts to alter the historical and legal
reality in Jerusalem, which are a breach of international law and
freedom of worship, and a provocation against the feelings of
millions of Muslims and Christians worldwide.

Amid absence of a firm international stance, the committee warned
against continuation of such policies that would fuel further
violations, threaten regional security and stability, and undermine
prospects for a just and lasting peace based on respect for
international law.

The committee urged the international community, the United Nations,
UNESCO, church leaders, and religious and human rights bodies to take
immediate action to pressure Israel, the occupying power, to halt its
attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites, ensure the protection of
worship places, preserve Jerusalem’s historical and legal status quo
and hold it accountable for its violations of international law.

//Petra// NQ