Jordan denounces break-in into Al Aqsa Mosque

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday strongly condemned the Israeli national security minister’s break-in Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif earlier in the day that was carried out under the protection of Israeli forces.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sinan Majali said that the minister’s break-in at Al Aqsa Mosque and subsequent violation of its sanctity is a condemned and provocative step that represents a clear and rejected violation of international law as well as the legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, according to a ministry statement.

Warning against further escalation, Majali stressed that the continuous violations and attacks on holy sites in conjunction with ongoing break-ins in the occupied Palestinian territories form a dangerous trend that the international community must stop immediately.

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 stressed that Israel bears full responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of such an escalation, which undermines all efforts to prevent the exacerbation of violence that threatens security and peace.

The spokesperson demanded that Israel, as the occupying force, immediately cease all violations against the Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif and respect its sanctity.

Majali also stressed the need for Israel to stop all measures aimed at changing the existing historical and legal status quo and imposing a time and spatial division, and to respect the authority of the Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department.