Jordan condemns Israeli decision allowing extremists to march in Jerusalem  

AMMAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday condemned the Israeli occupation forces' permit to extremists to march through the Old City of Jerusalem.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry also condemned "provocative" sentiments by extremist settlers against the Awqaf Department and their attempts to change the status quo in Jerusalem. 

The ministry's spokesperson Sufian Qudah warned against Israeli unilateral and illegal measures that aim at changing the status quo in Jerusalem, underlying that "Israel has no sovereignty over Jerusalem and its holy sites and that East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian territory".

He also held Israeli "entirely" accountable for the consequences of this "dangerous" escalation, which coincided with the Israeli aggression on Gaza, calling on the international community to put an end to the Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. 

The spokesperson also reiterated that Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, with its total area of 144 dunums, is a place of worship for Muslims alone and that the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department has the “exclusive authority” to supervise the holy site’s affairs and manage entries.     

He also stressed that Israel, as an occupying power, needs to adhere to the international law concerning occupied Jerusalem and its holy sites, mainly Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif.