8 Arab and Islamic Countries Condemn Al-Aqsa Violations and Warn of Changing the Status Quo

SadaNews - Foreign ministers from 8 Arab and Islamic countries issued a joint statement condemning in the strongest terms the ongoing incursions of Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Qudsi Al-Sharif under the protection of Israeli forces, and the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.

They emphasized that these provocative and unacceptable actions represent a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, as well as the historical and legal status quo in the holy places of occupied Jerusalem.

The joint statement included the foreign ministers of: the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkey.

The ministers condemned the continued violations and systematic, illegal measures carried out by the Israeli authorities (the occupying power) with the aim of changing the historical, legal, and demographic character of occupied Jerusalem, as well as the desecration and undermining of the sanctity and status of its Islamic and Christian holy sites, reaffirming their categorical rejection of any attempts to change this situation, while acknowledging the special role of the historical Hashemite guardianship in this regard.

The ministers reiterated that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Qudsi Al-Sharif, which spans 144 dunams, is a purely religious site for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs, and Holy Places, is the legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction over the management of all affairs related to the mosque and its entry regulations.

Warning and Solidarity

The statement held the Israeli authorities responsible for halting these escalatory measures, warning that the repeated Israeli violations lead to increased tensions, fuel instability, and undermine international efforts aimed at achieving peace, in addition to representing a clear breach of Israel's commitments under international law, calling for an immediate cessation of all these illegal and provocative practices.

At the end of the statement, the foreign ministers reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and their steadfast support for achieving their legitimate and inalienable national rights, foremost among them the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

They also renewed their support for all efforts aimed at ending Israeli occupation and achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, according to international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, as well as the Arab Peace Initiative.

An official report revealed today, Tuesday, an escalation of Israeli occupation crimes against the residents of the Jerusalem governorate and its institutions, along with Judaization measures aimed at expelling the residents and altering the geographical and demographic character of the city.

The most prominent of these crimes is the ongoing assaults on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, accompanied by widespread incursions by settlers and attempts to impose a new reality, in addition to demolitions, arrests, and killings, as well as house arrest and forced expulsion from Al-Aqsa.