File Photo: A general view from the Mount of Olives shows Jerusalem's Old City with the Dome of the Rock in the al-Aqsa compound. AFP
The ministers denounced measures preventing Muslim worshippers from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and barring the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday.
They reaffirmed their rejection of any Israeli attempts to alter the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The ministers described the Israeli measures as flagrant violations of international law, including humanitarian law, and as breaches of the historical and legal status quo, infringing on the unrestricted right of worshippers to access their places of worship.
They reiterated their absolute rejection of Israel’s illegal and restrictive actions against Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem, highlighting the need to respect the historical and legal status of the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.
They stressed that Israel, as the occupying power, has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem and called for an immediate halt to all actions obstructing worshippers’ access to holy sites.
The ministers also condemned Israel’s continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque for 30 consecutive days, including during the holy month of Ramadan, describing the restrictions on worship as a serious violation of international law, the existing legal and historical framework, and Israel’s obligations as an occupying power. They warned that these measures pose risks to regional and international peace and security.
Reaffirming that the Al-Aqsa Mosque, spanning 144 dunams, is exclusively a place of Muslim worship, the ministers stressed that the Jerusalem Awqaf Department, under Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, holds the sole legal authority to manage the mosque and regulate access.
The ministers called on Israel to immediately reopen the doors of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, lift restrictions on entry to Jerusalem’s Old City, and refrain from impeding Muslim worshippers.
They also urged the international community to take a firm stance to compel Israel to end its ongoing violations and unlawful practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, ensuring the sanctity of these sacred places is respected.
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