Foreign ministers from eight Muslim-majority countries, including Türkiye, condemned Israel on March 11 for restricting Muslim worshippers’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, urging the international community to pressure Israel to end the restrictive measures.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates criticized Israeli authorities for continuing to close the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.
The ministers said security restrictions limiting access to Jerusalem’s Old City and its places of worship constitute a violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the longstanding historical and legal status quo governing the site.
They strongly rejected the illegal and unjustified measures, accusing Israel of continuing provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque and against worshippers.
The statement stressed that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The ministers also reiterated that the entire Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, covering approximately 144 dunams, is exclusively a place of worship for Muslims.
They emphasized that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, which operates under Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the sole legal authority responsible for administering the site and regulating entry.
The ministers called on Israel to immediately reopen the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, lift access restrictions to Jerusalem’s Old City and allow Muslim worshippers to freely enter the mosque.
They also urged the international community to take a firm stance to compel Israel to stop what they described as ongoing violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Since the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have tightened restrictions on Palestinians traveling from the occupied West Bank to East Jerusalem, significantly limiting access to the city.
Many Palestinians view these measures as part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at changing the demographic and cultural character of East Jerusalem, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, by diminishing its Arab and Islamic identity.
Since 2003, Israeli authorities have also permitted Israeli settlers to enter the compound on a near-daily basis, with access typically suspended only on Fridays and Saturdays.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is regarded as Islam’s third-holiest site. Jews refer to the same area as the Temple Mount, which they believe was the location of two ancient Jewish temples.
Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later declared the entire city its capital in 1980, a move that has not been recognized by the international community.
