Arab countries condemn extremist Israeli minister’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Arab countries and Palestinian groups condemned far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s storming Monday of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The reactions came after the Islamic Endowments Directorate in Jerusalem said that Ben-Gvir entered the mosque compound through the Moroccan Gate and toured its courtyards.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move as “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a provocation to Muslims around the world.”

It reaffirmed its rejection of attempts to alter the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque and called on the international community to confront repeated Israeli violations in Jerusalem.

Jordan also condemned the storming, calling it “a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law,” an unacceptable provocation, and a violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry accused Israel, “as the occupying power in occupied Jerusalem,” of seeking to impose a temporal and spatial division at the site while also condemning the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers.

Palestine’s Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs described Ben-Gvir’s storming of the mosque as a “blatant assault,” saying it came while Israeli authorities continue to bar Muslim worshippers from entering the site.

The ministry said repeated incursions by ministers in Israel’s far-right government amounted to “an assault on a religious site belonging exclusively to Muslims” and called for urgent Arab, Islamic and international action to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas, for its part, said Ben-Gvir’s latest move reflected Israel’s determination to impose a policy of Judaization and full control over the mosque compound.

Abdul Rahman Shadid, a leader in Hamas, said the storming, carried out while Al-Aqsa Mosque has remained closed to Muslims for more than a month, represented “the most dangerous organized occupation policy” against the site.

Israeli authorities kept Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed for the 38th consecutive day, citing the “state of emergency” declared since the start of the US-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28.