Jordan denounces Israeli minister’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Jordan strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque/al-Haram al-Sharif compound on early Sunday by the Israeli national security minister, who was heavily protected by the Israeli occupation forces. Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Sinan Majali said in a statement that the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the violation of its sanctity by an Israeli cabinet member are condemned and provocative acts. They represent a blatant violation of international law, as well as the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, he added. Majali warned that the continued breaches and attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, coupled with the unilateral measures of settlement expansion and the ongoing Israeli raids into occupied Palestinian territory, may lead to further escalation. He urged the international community to take swift and decisive action to put an end to these practices. Furthermore, he emphasized that the holy compound, which spans an area of 144 dunums, is exclusively a Muslim place of worship and that the Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department is the sole authority responsible for managing all affairs of the compound and organizing entry to it. In addition, he demanded that Israel, as the occupying power, immediately cease all efforts to alter the legal and historical status quo and impose spatial or temporal divisions.

Source: Jordan News Agency