JAKARTA — Foreign ministers from Muslim-majority countries have urged Israel to immediately stop closing the entrance to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, condemning the continued closure of the area to Muslims, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates also urged Israel to lift its restrictions on access to Jerusalem’s Old City and not prevent Muslims from entering the mosque.
They also urged the international community to take a firm stance to force Israel to stop its continued violations and unlawful practices against Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as violations of the sanctity of the holy sites.
All foreign ministers reiterated their absolute rejection and condemnation of what they described as illegal and unjustified measures, as well as continued provocative actions against Muslims, and stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or Muslim and Christian holy sites.
“The security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, in addition to the discriminatory and arbitrary restrictions on access to other places of worship in the Old City, are a clear 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 joint statement said.
The matter was stated in a statement posted on the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s social media on Thursday.
The foreign ministers also stressed that the entire 144 dunam (144,000 square meters) area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a special place of worship for Muslims.
They added that the Department of Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs under the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs is a legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer its affairs and regulate entry to the area.
— BERNAMA
