For the past 12 days, Israel has closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and restricted movement in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have condemned Israel’s closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the 12th consecutive day during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
In a statement published on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Islamic countries said Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship are “a gross violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship”.
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“The ministers reaffirmed their full rejection and condemnation of this illegal and unjustified measure, as well as Israel’s continued provocative actions against Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and worshippers. They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites,” the statement said.
The statement said the entire area of ​​the Al-Aqsa Mosque was “exclusively” for Muslims and that the Jerusalem Endowment and the Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is a “legal entity with special jurisdiction”.
immediately stop closing the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
“The ministers called on Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately stop closing the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, lift access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers’ access to the mosque,” the statement said.
Citing “security” measures as a result of the ongoing war against Iran, Israeli forces have imposed strict restrictions on worshippers and access to the Old City.
But the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the continued closure emphasised policies that were a “gross violation of Palestinian rights”, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Hamas has also condemned the ongoing shutdown, saying on Tuesday it sets a “dangerous historical precedent” and a “gross violation” of freedom of worship.
