The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Türkiye have strongly condemned the storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday.
According to reports, the settlers entered the mosque compound through the Al-Maghrabah Gate, which is controlled by Israeli authorities. During the incursion, they raised Israeli flags on the steps leading to the Dome of the Rock, chanted slogans, and sang the Israeli national anthem under police protection.
In a joint statement, the ministers rejected any attempts to alter the historical, legal, or demographic status of occupied East Jerusalem, as well as actions that threaten the sanctity of its Islamic and Christian holy sites, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, regarded as Islam’s third-holiest site, has been the scene of recurring tensions since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in June 1967. These tensions have included settler incursions into the compound and restrictions on Muslim worshippers.
The Al-Aqsa compound is administered by Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, which holds legal authority over its management and access.
Israeli settlers, who refer to the site as the Temple Mount, have sought to expand their presence within the compound and conduct Jewish prayers there at designated times. Several senior Israeli officials, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have publicly supported these efforts.
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