Jerusalem: The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS), and the African Union Commission (AUC) expressed strong condemnation of the storming of the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extremist minister in the Israeli occupation government, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces. This action is considered a provocation to Muslims worldwide and a violation of international resolutions and covenants.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the three organizations warned of the ongoing closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers for forty consecutive days. This escalation against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem threatens regional and international peace. They affirmed that Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and rejected illegal measures altering the city's geographic and demographic status.
The organizations stressed maintaining the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque as an exclusively Muslim place of worship. They urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to ensure the Israeli authorities respect the right to worship and reopen the mosque to worshippers. They also reiterated support for the Palestinian people's rights, including establishing an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and backed the two-state solution efforts.
