Doha: Eight Arab and Islamic countries have collectively condemned the ongoing closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif to Muslim worshippers by Israeli occupation authorities. The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt issued a joint statement expressing their disapproval of the actions, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

According to Qatar News Agency, the ministers highlighted that the security measures restricting access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its religious sites, along with discriminatory entrance restrictions, violate international law, including international humanitarian law. They emphasized that these actions contravene the historical and legal status quo and the principle of free access to places of worship.

The ministers expressed their firm rejection and condemnation of these measures, labeling them as illegal and unjustified. They criticized Israel's provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif and against worshippers, asserting that Israel does not hold sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

They reiterated that the Al-Aqsa Mosque, encompassing 144 dunams, is a worship site exclusively for Muslims. The Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, under the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is recognized as the sole legal authority managing the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram Al-Sharif and regulating access.

The ministers urged Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately end the closure of the mosque gates, remove access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem, and cease obstructing Muslim worshippers from entering the mosque. They also called upon the international community to adopt a firm stance to compel Israel to stop its ongoing violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as its breaches of the sanctity of these sacred locations.