Eight Arab, Islamic countries condemn Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque 

Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have condemned Israel’s continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for the 12th consecutive day.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the eight Arab and Islamic countries said Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to the old city of Jerusalem and its places of worship constituted a “flagrant violation to international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship”.

“The Ministers affirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of this illegal and unjustified measure, as well as Israel’s continued provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif and against worshippers. They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites,” the statement read.

The statement added that the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque was “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”.

“The Ministers called on Israel, as the occupying Power, to immediately cease the closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, remove access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers’ access to the mosque,” the statement said, calling on the international community to compel Israel to stop its “ongoing violations”.

Israeli forces have imposed strict restrictions on worshippers and access to the Old City, citing “security” measures as a result of the ongoing war against Iran.

But the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said the continued closure emphasised the policies were a “blatant violation of Palestinian rights”, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Hamas has also condemned the continued closure and said on Tuesday that it sets a “dangerous historical precedent” and a “blatant violation” of the freedom of worship.