Amman, July 23 (Petra)– The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United
Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and
Egypt strongly condemned what they described as Israel’s escalating
actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, particularly the
continued large-scale incursions by Israeli settlers led by extremist
ministers under the protection of Israeli police.

In a joint statement, the ministers denounced the raising of the
Israeli flag inside the mosque compound, the installation of two
police tents, and other provocative measures, describing them as
blatant violations of international law, relevant United Nations
resolutions, and the historic and legal status quo governing the holy
sites in occupied East Jerusalem.

The ministers also condemned what they called illegal and extremist
acts, including incitement, calls for mass incursions, and violence
committed by Israeli ministers and extremist groups. They warned that
such provocations fuel hatred and extremism while undermining efforts
to achieve a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.

The statement stressed that restrictions on access to Jerusalem’s Old
City and its places of worship, as well as discriminatory and
arbitrary measures limiting access to other religious sites,
constitute serious violations of international law, including
international humanitarian law, and represent unlawful attempts to
alter the historic and legal status quo.

The ministers reaffirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied
Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

They further condemned Israel’s continued systematic measures aimed
at changing the historical, legal, and demographic character of
occupied East Jerusalem and undermining the sanctity and status of
its Islamic and Christian holy places.

The ministers reiterated their firm rejection of any attempts to
alter the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy
sites, emphasizing the need to preserve it while reaffirming the
special role of the Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and
Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

They also reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunum area of Al-Aqsa
Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif is an exclusive place of worship for
Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs
Department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic
Affairs and Holy Places, is the sole legal authority responsible for
administering the mosque compound and regulating access to it.

The ministers called on Israel, as the occupying power, to
immediately lift restrictions on access to Jerusalem’s Old City and
refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers from reaching Al-Aqsa
Mosque.

They also urged the international community to take a firm stance
compelling Israel to end its ongoing violations and illegal practices
against the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and to
respect their sanctity.

//Petra// MF