The foreign ministers of UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have issued a joint statement to condemn Israeli settlers’ incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
The ministers condemned the repeated violations of the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites by Israeli occupation authorities, particularly the continued incursions by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers into Al Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif under Israeli police protection, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.
They further reiterated that these provocative actions at Al Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif, constitute a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and represent an unacceptable provocation to Muslims around the world, and a flagrant violation to the sanctity of the holy city.
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Reaffirming their categorical rejection of any attempts to alter the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, the eight ministers stressed on the importance of its preservation while recognising the special role of the historic Hashemite custodianship in this regard.
They highlighted that the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al Haram Sharif, which amounts to 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and to regulate entry thereto.
Denouncing settlement activity
The foreign ministers further condemned the accelerating illegal settlement activity, including Israel’s decision to approve over 30 new settlements, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, including United Nations Security Council resolutions and the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. They also condemned the continued and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including recent attacks on Palestinian schools and children, and called for those responsible to be held accountable. They emphasised that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and categorically rejected any attempts to annex the Occupied Palestinian Territory or to displace the Palestinian people.
Such actions constitute a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the Palestinian State, the ministers stressed, and on the implementation of the two-State solution, increase tensions, undermine peace efforts, and hinder ongoing initiatives aimed at de-escalation and the restoration of stability.
They called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities and compel Israel to halt its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank, and to put an end to its illegal practices. The international community should also assume its responsibilities and take clear and decisive steps to halt these violations. In addition, it has to intensify all regional and international efforts to advance a political solution that achieves a comprehensive peace based on the two-State solution.
The ministers reiterated their unwavering support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to self-determination and to reallise the independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Source: Khaleej Times