Arab condemnations mounted on Sunday after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and groups of settlers entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and performed Talmudic rituals in its eastern area under heavy protection from Israeli police, coinciding with the Jewish holiday season and rising tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Saudi, Qatari and Jordanian condemnations of the incursion
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned Ben-Gvir and the settlers entering the mosque, describing the move as a violation and a dangerous escalation affecting the established historical and legal status of the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem. The Saudi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the entry into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling it a flagrant violation and a provocation to Muslims around the world.
The ministry reiterated the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of provocative practices and acts of incitement and violence committed by Israeli officials. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, warned that continued violations could fuel cycles of violence in the region.
Jordan rejects changing the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Doha reiterated its support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Jordan warned against attempts to impose new realities or divide Al-Aqsa Mosque by time and place, stressing that Israel has no sovereignty over Jerusalem and its holy sites.
It stressed that the mosque, in its entirety, is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Endowments Administration and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, is the legally authorised body with exclusive jurisdiction over its administration and the regulation of access to it. The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs affirmed that Al-Aqsa Mosque is the exclusive right of Muslims and cannot be divided or shared.
Settler numbers and the activities of Jewish groups
This coincided with warnings of increased activity by Jewish groups seeking to impose new rituals ahead of what is known as Yom Kippur. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several of his ministers and thousands of settlers entered the Western Wall plaza on Saturday under heavy security, while Israeli forces were deployed extensively throughout the Old City.
In Hebron, Israeli forces closed the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshippers, citing the Jewish holidays, from 2pm on Sunday until 10pm on Monday. The closure came as the ban on the call to prayer at the mosque continued for the 90th consecutive day.
The Sur Baher neighbourhood, south-east of Jerusalem, witnessed clashes between residents and Israeli forces after Palestinians confronted settlers who attacked vehicles with stones in the Sur Baher and Umm Tuba areas, near the Har Homa settlement. The forces fired tear-gas and stun grenades, causing fires to break out in some shops.
In the West Bank, an Israeli settler died of wounds sustained in a shooting near the Halamish settlement, also known as Neve Tzuf. The Israeli army announced the arrest of the man it said carried out the attack, released prisoner Qadri Samara from the town of Beit Iksa, after finding him injured inside a hospital in Ramallah.
The developments come as settlers continue to be allowed to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque unilaterally, despite repeated calls by the Islamic Waqf Department to halt these practices.
