Saudi Arabia leads Arab and Islamic condemnation of continuing Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Saudi Arabia led Arab and Islamic countries in condemning Israel over the continuing closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which worshippers were prevented from entering for a 12th straight day on Wednesday.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye denounced the Israeli decision to block access to the mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, which will end in just over a week.

They said in a joint statement: “Security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, along with discriminatory and arbitrary restrictions on access to other places of worship in the Old City, constitute a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, the existing historical and legal status, and the principle of unrestricted free access to places of worship.”

Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites, they added, and the entirety of the area around Al-Aqsa, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, is a sacred site exclusively for Muslim worship. It is managed by Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, which holds the legal authority to oversee the compound and regulate access.

The ministers urged the occupying power, Israel, to immediately stop closing the gates of Al-Aqsa, the Saudi Press Agency reported. They called for an end to all obstructions preventing worshippers from accessing the mosque, and the removal of restrictions on entry to the Old City of Jerusalem.

They also urged the international community to firmly demand that Israeli authorities halt their violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Israel has announced a state of emergency across the country as a result of its conflict with Iran. In conjunction with the US, it has been carrying out airstrikes on Iranian territory since Feb. 28. In response, Iran has continued to strike Israel and several other countries in the region with missiles and armed drones.