DID Press: Foreign ministers from eight Arab and Muslim countries have condemned Israel for keeping the Al-Aqsa Mosque closed during the holy month of Ramadan, calling the move a clear violation of international law.
According to a joint statement issued Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates described the continued closure of the mosque for the twelfth consecutive day as “illegal and unjustified.”
The ministers said Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its holy sites constitute a breach of international law, humanitarian norms, and the principle of free access to places of worship.
They emphasized that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites and called on Israeli authorities to reopen the gates of Al-Aqsa immediately and lift restrictions on worshippers.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the closure as a clear violation of Palestinian rights, while Hamas warned the move could set a “dangerous historical precedent.”