Jordan condemns Israeli minister’s incursion into Al Aqsa

AMMAN — Jordan on Sunday condemned the Israeli Minister of National Security's incursion into Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, which was carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

The ministry’s spokesperson, Sinan Al Majali, said that the Israeli Minister of National Security’s intrusion is considered a provocative step and grave violation that not only leads to escalation,  but breaches international law and the historical and legal status quo of Jerusalem and its holy sites.

The continued violations and assaults against Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy shrines, accompanied by the unilateral measures related to the relentless expansion of settlements and ongoing incursions into Palestinian territories, portend further escalation and represent “a perilous route” that demands immediate action from the international community to end such practices.

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 manage entries to the holy site supervise its affairs.

The spokesperson demanded that Israel, as the occupying force, immediately cease all violations at 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 spatial and temporal division, and to respect the authority of the Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department.