The Foreign Ministers of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, and the Arab Republic of Egypt have condemned and rejected, in the strongest terms, the ongoing restrictions imposed by Israel on the freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians in occupied Jerusalem. This includes preventing Muslim worshippers from accessing the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and barring the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custodian of the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday mass.
اضافة اعلان
The ministers renewed their condemnation and rejection of any Israeli attempts to alter the existing historical and legal status quo of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. They emphasized that these continuous Israeli measures constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, and a breach of the historical and legal status quo, representing an infringement on the unrestricted right of access to places of worship.
The ministers affirmed their absolute rejection of illegal and restrictive Israeli measures against Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem, including preventing Christians from free access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to perform their religious rites. They stressed the necessity of respecting the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, reaffirming that Israel, as the occupying power, has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem. They further highlighted the need to cease all actions that obstruct worshippers' access to their holy sites.
Furthermore, the ministers renewed their condemnation of Israel's continued closure of the gates of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif to worshippers for 30 consecutive days, including during the holy month of Ramadan. They noted that such restrictions on the freedom of worship constitute a grave violation of international law, the status quo, and Israel's obligations as an occupying power.
They warned of the dangers these escalatory measures pose to regional and international peace and security. The ministers reaffirmed that the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in its entire area of 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department—affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs, and Holy Places—is the sole legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction to manage the affairs of Al-Haram Al-Sharif and regulate entry to it.
The ministers called upon Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately cease closing the gates of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, remove restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers. They also urged the international community to take a firm stance to compel Israel to end its continuous violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem, as well as its violations of the sanctity of these holy sites.
