The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a joint statement condemning what they described as continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound under Israeli protection, as well as the raising of Israeli flags within its courtyards.
The ministers said the actions were provocative and unacceptable, describing them as violations of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical and legal status quo in occupied East Jerusalem.
They also condemned what they called Israel’s continued measures to alter the historical, legal and demographic character of occupied East Jerusalem and undermine the status of Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The statement rejected any attempts to change the status quo in Jerusalem and reaffirmed the special role of the Hashemite custodianship in protecting the holy sites.
It stressed that the entire 144-dunam Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims and affirmed that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, under Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal authority responsible for administering the site and regulating entry.
The ministers called on Israeli authorities to halt what they described as escalatory actions, warning that repeated violations could increase tensions, fuel instability and extremism, and undermine peace efforts.
They reaffirmed solidarity with the Palestinian people, support for an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and backing for a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, international law, UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
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