Arab and Muslim nations condemn Al-Aqsa incursion as unlawful status quo alteration
Diplomats from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and the UAE assert Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem following one of the year’s largest incursions.
Eight Arab and Muslim-majority nations have issued a joint statement strongly condemning the incursion of more than 4,200 Israeli settlers and far-right figures into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. The foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates denounced the event as an unlawful attempt to alter the historical and legal status quo of the holy sites.
The incursion occurred on Thursday to mark the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, one of the largest such events this year. It involved Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and was protected by Israeli police forces. Palestinian officials reported that worshippers were barred from entering the site and that several individuals were assaulted by security forces imposing tight restrictions at the mosque’s gates.
In their statement, the diplomats underscored that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. They characterised the actions as provocative measures that fuel hatred and extremism, arguing that such escalations obstruct efforts to advance a just and lasting peace based on the two-State solution. The joint statement explicitly called on Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift the restrictions imposed on access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The foreign ministers also appealed to the international community to take a firm stance obligating Israel to cease its ongoing violations and illegal practices against the sanctity of these sites. They condemned the incitement and calls to mobilise incursions by Israeli ministers and extremist groups, describing the events as illegal acts of violence.
The status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is managed by the Jerusalem Waqf, a Jordanian-appointed body. Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967 and formally annexed it in 1980, a move ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2024. Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction of an ancient Jewish temple, which religious tradition believes stood at the site known to Muslims as Al-Aqsa and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
