ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority countries on Wednesday condemned Israel’s continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan, calling the move a violation of international law and the historical status quo governing the holy site.
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar issued a joint statement criticizing restrictions on access to the mosque and other places of worship in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, located within the Haram Al-Sharif compound in East Jerusalem’s Old City, is the third-holiest site in Islam and draws thousands of worshippers, particularly during Ramadan. Access to the site has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar condemn Israeli occupation authorities’ continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif to Muslim worshippers particularly during the holy month of Ramadan,” the joint statement said.
