Ministers from eight Arab and Muslim nations have condemned incursions on Al-Aqsa by Israeli settlers, according to a joint statement.
Foreign ministers from Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have condemned the “repeated violations of the historical and legal status quo at Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem,” according to a joint statement by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministers criticised ongoing incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli settlers and members of the Knesset under police protection, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.
They said such actions constituted a “blatant violation” of international law and an unacceptable provocation to Muslims worldwide.
The statement reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunum compound is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims and stressed that the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, retains sole legal authority over the site.
The ministers further condemned Israeli approval of more than 30 new settlements, calling it a clear breach of international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, as well as the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.
They also raised concern over increasing settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including attacks targeting schools and children, and called for accountability.
The statement urged the international community to take decisive steps to halt what it described as escalating violations and to support efforts towards a two-state solution based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.