Jerusalem:The Jerusalem Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has issued a warning about an unprecedented escalation in violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which coincides with the Sukkot holiday.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency , the department highlighted that incursions by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with Ben-Gvir's statement asserting sovereignty over Al-Aqsa, signify a declaration ending the existing historical and legal status quo. This move is seen as paving the way for new realities at the mosque to be imposed by force.
The department's press statement described these actions as part of a systematic policy turning incursions into an organized political agenda. It reported that since this morning, approximately 1,271 colonists have entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, performing public prayers and rituals, including the Musaf prayer and those associated with the so-called 'Temple Mount.' These activities also included bringing 'plant offerings' and performing collective prostration rituals inside the mosque's courtyards.
The department emphasized that the issue goes beyond the number of people entering the mosque, highlighting the attempt to impose a new 'religious and political reality' by force. This is seen as leading towards the temporal and spatial division of the mosque, further intensifying religious and political tensions in Jerusalem and the region.
The PLO's Jerusalem Affairs Department called upon the international community and influential countries to move beyond mere condemnation and take concrete steps to protect the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to preserve the identity of Jerusalem and its Islamic holy sites.