Eight Major Muslim-Majority Nations Call On Israel To End Al-Aqsa Gate Closures

JAKARTA, March 12 (Berrnama) -- Foreign Ministers of major Muslim-majority nations called on Israel to immediately cease the closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, condemning the continued closure of the site to Muslim worshippers, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates also urged Israel to lift access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers from entering the mosque.

They also called on the international community to take a firm stance to compel Israel to halt its ongoing violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as its violations of the sanctity of these sacred places.

The ministers affirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of what they described as illegal and unjustified measures, along with continued provocative actions against worshippers and stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

“Security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, coupled with discriminatory and arbitrary access restrictions to the other places of worship in the old city, constitute a flagrant violation to international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship,” they said.

They said this in the statement uploaded on Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry's social media on Thursday.

The Ministers reiterated that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which amounts to 144 dunams (144,000 square metres), is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims.

They added that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer its affairs and regulate its entry.

-- BERNAMA