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