8 Arab, Muslim nations slam Israel over closure of Al-Aqsa mosque

KABUL (Pajhwok): Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have vehemently condemned Israel’s continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan for the 12th consecutive day, a media report said on Thursday.

Al Jazeera, quoting a statement published on Wednesday, reported that the foreign ministers of the eight Arab and Muslim countries said Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship constituted a “flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law.”

The statement added that the restrictions also breached the historical and legal status quo, and violated the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship, infringing on religious freedoms guaranteed under international norms.

The ministers described Israel’s action as “illegal and unjustified” and firmly rejected and condemned it. They stressed that Israel had no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The statement added that the entire compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque belonged “exclusively” to Muslims and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, was the “legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction” over the site.

The ministers called on Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately reopen the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, lift restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and refrain from preventing Muslim worshippers from entering the mosque.

The statement also urged the international community to compel Israel to halt what it described as its “ongoing violations.”

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have imposed strict restrictions on worshippers’ access to the Old City, citing “security measures” related to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also said the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque constituted “a clear violation of Palestinian rights.”

The Hamas movement also condemned the move, saying the continued closure of the mosque represented “a dangerous historical precedent” and “a clear violation of freedom of worship.”

kk/sa