Eight Muslim countries denounce Israeli incursions at Al-Aqsa

“Eight Muslim countries denounce Israeli incursions at Al-Aqsa Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 06/03/2026 - 16:22 Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also call for recognition of Jordan's custodianship A Muslim man prays outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during Friday noon prayers in the Old City of Jerusalem, 10 April 2026 (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP) Off The foreign ministers of Qatar , the UAE , Jordan , Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israeli settler incursions at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and called for the acknowledgement of Jordan's jurisdiction over the holy site. In a statement posted by Qatar's foreign ministry on social media on Wednesday, the ministers said the incursions, which were conducted under the protection of Israeli forces, constitute “a clear violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical and legal status of the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem”. The ministers further rejected Israeli attempts to alter "the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites," and urged the recognition of Jordan's historic custodianship the Al-Aqsa compound. They stressed that the holy site is a "place of worship exclusively for Muslims," adding that they hold the Israeli authorities responsible for the escalating violations perpetrated by settlers under military protection. Al-Aqsa Mosque has been governed under a decades-long status quo , or international arrangement, preserving its religious status as an exclusively Islamic site. Under arrangements reached after the 1967 war, Jordan and Israel agreed that the Islamic Waqf would administer internal affairs at the complex, while Israel would control external security. Non-Muslims are permitted to visit the site during designated hours, but are not allowed to pray there. The mosque has seen escalating settler raids in recent years, often conducted under military escort. Middle East Eye previously reported that the US and Israel are "actively working" to strip Jordan of its historic custodianship of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque complex. Under the proposed arrangement, revealed by MEE sources, management of the revered Muslim site will closely align with Israeli interests in the future. US, Jordanian and Palestinian officials, as well as western and Gulf Arab sources, told MEE that under the plan, championed by Jared Kushner and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, the authority of the Jordanian-backed Islamic Waqf would end and a new body created by the Israeli government would declare the Al-Aqsa Mosque a "multi-faith centre". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that this was the case, but did not affirm Jordan's custodianship. Occupation News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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