Jerusalem: The Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Trkiye, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the State of Qatar have condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif to Muslim worshippers, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, a joint statement issued by the Foreign Ministers of these nations declared that security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, coupled with discriminatory and arbitrary access restrictions to other places of worship in the Old City, constitute a violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship.
The Ministers expressed their rejection and condemnation of this measure, as well as Israel's continued actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif and against worshippers. They emphasized that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Furthermore, the Ministers reiterated that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, totaling 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims. They highlighted that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, part of the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram Al-Sharif and regulate entry to it.
The Ministers called on Israel, as the occupying power, to cease the closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, remove access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem, and allow Muslim worshippers access to the mosque. They also urged the international community to adopt a firm position to compel Israel to halt its ongoing practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and its violations of the sanctity of these places.