Muslim states condemn Israel's desecration of holy sites

Foreign ministers of Pakistan and seven other Muslim countries on Thursday condemned Israel's "unacceptable" violations against Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem, describing them as repeated breaches of the historic and legal status quo at the holy sites by Israeli occupation authorities.

The condemnation came amid continued reports of incursions, as a day earlier, dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy police protection.

According to a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, they reaffirmed their categorical rejection of any attempts to alter the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, stressing its preservation while recognising the special role of the historic Hashemite custodianship.

The ministers particularly condemned continued incursions by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers into Al-Aqsa Mosque under Israeli police protection, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.

"These provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque ... constitute a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and represent an unacceptable provocation to Muslims around the world, and a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the holy city," the ministers reiterated.

"The entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Sharif, which amounts to 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims," they said, adding 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 to administer the affairs of the mosque and to regulate entry thereto.

The ministers also condemned accelerating illegal settlement activity, including Israel's approval of more than 30 new settlements, calling it a flagrant violation of international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions and the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

"Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory," the ministers emphasised, categorically rejecting any attempts to annex the territory or displace the Palestinian people.

They further condemned continued settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including recent attacks on schools and children, and called for those responsible to be held accountable.