Al-Aqsa Mosque: Foreign ministers of 8 nations condemn escalation, warn over status quo
Al-Aqsa Mosque: Joint Arab-Islamic statement rejects restrictions on access to Jerusalem and calls on Israel to stop violations
Foreign ministers of 8 Arab and Islamic nations condemned on Thursday the escalation at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the continued incursions of settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, and the raising of the Israeli flag inside its courtyards, warning that these actions fuel hatred and undermine peace efforts.
Joint condemnation of escalation
The foreign ministers of the UAE, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar issued a joint statement condemning the escalation at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the continued incursions of settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, the raising of the Israeli flag inside its courtyards, the erection of tents, and other actions described by the statement as “provocative.”
The ministers affirmed that these actions are “unacceptable” and constitute “a violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historic and legal status quo at the holy sites in East Jerusalem.”
Warning against changing the status quo
The ministers denounced incitement and calls to mobilize incursions, and acts of violence committed by Israeli ministers and groups, warning that these actions “fuel hatred and extremism, and undermine efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.”
The statement added that restrictions on access to the Old City in Jerusalem and places of worship constitute “a violation of international law” and attempts “to change the historic and legal status quo,” affirming that “Israel has no sovereignty over Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
Rejection of Israeli violations
The ministers also condemned the continued violations and measures carried out by Israel, which they said aim to “change the historic, legal, and demographic character of East Jerusalem, and undermine the sanctity and status of its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
The ministers renewed their rejection of “any attempts to change the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites,” stressing the need to preserve it, while referring to the “Hashemite Custodianship” and affirming Jordan’s historic role in safeguarding the holy sites in Jerusalem, a role internationally recognized in this regard, according to the statement.
The ministers called on Israel to “immediately lift the restrictions on access to the Old City in Jerusalem, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
They also called on the international community to take a position that “compels Israel to stop its violations and practices against the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.”
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#بيان | يدين وزراء خارجية المملكة العربية السعودية، وجمهورية مصر العربية، والمملكة الأردنية الهاشمية، وجمهورية باكستان الإسلامية، وجمهورية إندونيسيا، والجمهورية التركية، ودولة قطر، ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة بأشدّ العبارات التصعيد الإسرائيلي في المسجد الأقصى المبارك/الحرم…
— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) July 23, 2026
