Egypt’s Mufti Shawki Allam strongly condemned the Israeli aggression and violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including "the latest attacks on the graves of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad as well as Arab and Muslim martyrs in Jerusalem."

 

In an official statement, Allam called on the international community to assume its full responsibilities and stop the Israeli attacks against Palestinian lands and sacred sites, upholding the principles of international law, international legitimacy and decisions, as well as and the principles of human rights.

 

The Mufti, who is also the secretary-general for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, warned of "the continuation of the Israeli occupation’s plans to Judaise the occupied city of East Jerusalem, disfigure its features, and obliterate its true identity," describing Israeli acts as "a stark violation of the sanctity of the dead."

 

He underscored that the excavation work carried out under the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings in Jerusalem represents a serious threat to the mosque.

 

Egypt has repeatedly condemned Israeli plans to build thousands of Jewish settlement units in East Jerusalem.

 

In mid-December, the Israeli government approved a plan to construct 8,300 settlement units in seized Palestinian land in south Jerusalem.

 

Egypt has maintained its position of rejecting illegal settlements in Palestinian territories, as well as its full support for establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the borders of 1967.