UAE and seven nations urge halt to settler incursions at Al-Aqsa Mosque

WAM

The Foreign Ministers of the UAE and seven other countries have strongly condemned repeated incursions by Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque/ Al-Haram Al-Sharif under the protection of Israeli forces, including the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.

In a joint statement, the ministers of the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar described the actions as provocative and a violation of international law, United Nations resolutions, and the established historical and legal status quo at the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem.

They also condemned ongoing Israeli measures aimed at altering the historical, legal and demographic character of East Jerusalem and undermining the sanctity of its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The ministers reaffirmed their rejection of any attempt to change the status quo, stressing the importance of preserving it, along with the special role of Jordan’s custodianship.

They stressed that the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque, covering 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, administered by the Jordanian Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department.

The ministers called for an immediate halt to escalatory and illegal actions, warning they fuel tensions, instability and extremism, and undermine prospects for peace.

They also reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian people and their right to an independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and reiterated commitment to a two-state solution in line with international law and UN resolutions.

 

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