A joint statement on Al-Aqsa Mosque released by eight Muslim-majority nations condemned recent developments in Jerusalem and called for preserving the site’s historical and legal status quo.
ABU DHABI: A joint statement on Al-Aqsa Mosque was issued on Tuesday by the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, expressing concern over recent developments at the holy site in occupied East Jerusalem.
The ministers condemned what they described as continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, under the protection of Israeli forces. They also criticised the raising of the Israeli flag within the mosque compound, describing such actions as provocative and unacceptable.
In the statement, the ministers said these developments represent violations of international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and the historical and legal status quo governing the holy sites in Jerusalem. They further expressed concern over measures they said could alter the historical, legal and demographic character of occupied East Jerusalem and affect the status of Islamic and Christian holy places.
The joint statement on Al-Aqsa Mosque reaffirmed rejection of any attempts to change the existing arrangements governing the site. The ministers also highlighted the historical Hashemite custodianship role and stressed the importance of preserving current religious and administrative arrangements.
According to the statement, the entire Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound, covering 144 dunams, remains a place of worship exclusively for Muslims. The ministers reiterated that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, holds responsibility for administering the site and regulating entry.
The ministers called on Israeli authorities to halt actions they described as escalatory, warning that repeated violations could increase tensions, fuel instability and undermine international peace efforts. The joint statement on Al-Aqsa Mosque also reaffirmed solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the framework of a two-state solution.
