Amman: The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt have collectively condemned the Israeli authorities' decision to close Al Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers.
According to Jordan News Agency, the ministers issued a joint statement highlighting that the security restrictions imposed on access to the Old City of occupied Jerusalem and its holy sites, alongside what they termed as discriminatory entry limitations to other religious sites in the area, violate international law, international humanitarian law, and the established historical and legal status quo of the holy sites.
The ministers rejected these Israeli actions and condemned what they described as ongoing provocative practices at Al Aqsa Mosque and against worshippers. They asserted that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The ministers emphasized that the entire 144-dunum compound of Al Aqsa Mosque is exclusively a place of worship for Muslims. They affirmed that the Jerusalem Waqf and Al Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department of the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places is the sole legal authority responsible for managing the Mosque's affairs and regulating entry to the site.
The ministers called on Israel to immediately reopen the mosque's gates, allow worshippers access to the site, lift restrictions on entry to the Old City, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers.
They urged the international community to take a decisive stance to compel Israel to stop actions and practices targeting Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.