It says Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Pakistan and seven Arab-Islamic countries on Friday condemned what they called Israel’s “flagrant violation” of the historical and legal status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, denouncing continued settler incursions led by extremist Israeli ministers under military protection and warning that the actions undermine international law and the prospects for a two-state solution.
The condemnation comes a day after 1,300 Israeli occupiers, along with Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem while commemorating the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, which commemorates what they call the “destruction of the Temple.”
In a joint statement shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO), the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates condemned “in the strongest terms” the continued raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers led by extremist ministers under the protection of Israeli forces.
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Joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of the group of eight Islamic Arab States
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The ministers denounced the “continuing mass incursions of settlers led by extremist Israeli ministers” into the mosque compound, the raising of the Israeli flag inside its courtyards, the erection of two tents by the Israeli police and “all other incendiary acts.”
They said these actions constituted “a flagrant violation of international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and the historical and legal status quo in the holy sites of occupied East Jerusalem.”
The joint statement also condemned “illegal and extremist acts of incitement, raids, calls for mobilization and violence by Israeli ministers and extremist groups,” warning that such actions “fuel hatred and extremism” and obstruct efforts to achieve “a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.”
The foreign ministers said the restrictions imposed on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, along with what they called discriminatory and arbitrary access restrictions to other religious sites, amounted to “a flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law,” and represented “an illegal attempt to alter the historical and legal status quo.”
Read: Around 1,300 Israeli occupiers storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem
They stressed that “Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
The ministers further condemned Israel’s “continued and systematic violations and measures” aimed at altering “the historical, legal and demographic character of occupied East Jerusalem” and undermining the sanctity and status of its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Reaffirming their “categorical rejection of any attempt to alter the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites,” the ministers emphasized the need to preserve existing agreements while recognizing “the special role of Hashemite historical stewardship” over the holy sites.
The statement reiterated that “the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, amounting to 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims,” adding that the Department of Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, remains “the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction” to manage the mosque compound and regulate entry.
The ministers called on Israel, “as the occupying Power”, to immediately remove access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem and “refrain from obstructing the access of Muslim worshipers to the Mosque.”
They also urged the international community to take “a firm position” forcing Israel to stop what they described as its continued violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as violations of the sanctity of those sites.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest place in the world for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, stating that it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque is located, during the Arab-Israeli War of 1967. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
