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A joint statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency detailed the strong condemnation from the top diplomats of the eight countries over continued mass incursions by Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of Israeli security forces. The ministers singled out visits led by extremist Israeli Cabinet members, the raising of the Israeli flag inside the compound and the erection of two police tents as particularly inflammatory. “The foreign ministers of Türkiye, the UAE, Indonesia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan strongly condemn Israel’s escalation at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, particularly the continued mass incursions by settlers led by extremist Israeli ministers and protected by Israeli security forces, the raising of the Israeli flag within the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, the establishment of two tents by Israeli police, and all other provocative actions,” the joint statement said. The ministers described these steps as a clear breach of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions while undermining the legal and historic status quo at the holy site in occupied East Jerusalem.
Such provocative conduct along with incitement from Israeli extremist ministers and groups fuels hatred and extremism, the statement warned, at a time when efforts toward a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution face serious obstacles. The foreign ministers criticized discriminatory restrictions imposed on access to Jerusalem’s Old City and its places of worship, which they said violate international humanitarian law. These measures appear designed to change long-standing arrangements at the sacred compound, according to the document released on Thursday.
The eight countries reaffirmed that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem or the Islamic and Christian holy sites located there. They stressed that the full 144-dunum Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, constitutes an exclusive place of worship for Muslims. The statement recognized the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, which falls under Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, as the only legitimate body authorized to administer the site and manage access.
Jordan’s longstanding custodianship over Jerusalem’s holy places received full backing in the joint statement, which called on all parties to respect that role without exception. The foreign ministers demanded that Israel lift all restrictions on access to the mosque compound immediately and halt every form of violation or illegal practice. They emphasized that preserving the status quo remains essential to preventing further escalation at one of the region’s most sensitive religious locations.
The ministers urged the international community to adopt a resolute position that compels Israel to end its ongoing actions against the holy sites in Jerusalem. Their statement follows repeated flare-ups at the compound in recent years that have drawn similar expressions of concern from Arab and Muslim-majority states. The participating nations span key diplomatic players across the Gulf, North Africa, South Asia and beyond, amplifying the collective call for de-escalation and adherence to established legal frameworks.
