Cairo, March 11, 2026 (WAFA) – The foreign ministers of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the State of Qatar condemned the continued closure by the Israeli occupation authorities of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Haram al-Sharif to Muslim worshippers, especially during the holy month of Ramadan .
In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the ministers affirmed that the security restrictions imposed on access to Jerusalem’s Old City and its places of worship, along with the discriminatory and arbitrary restrictions imposed on access to other places of worship in the Old City, constitute a flagrant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, the existing historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship .
The ministers affirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of these illegal and unjustified measures, and of Israel’s continued provocative practices at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram al-Sharif and against worshippers. They also stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites .
The ministers reiterated that the entire area of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram al-Sharif, which amounts to 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, is the legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction in managing the affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram al-Sharif and regulating entry to it .
The ministers called on Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately stop closing the gates of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and not to impede the access of worshippers to the mosque, to lift the restrictions imposed on access to the Old City of Jerusalem, and to refrain from obstructing the access of Muslim worshippers to the mosque .
They also called on the international community to take a firm stance that compels Israel to stop its ongoing violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and its violations of the sanctity of these holy places .
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A.W./A.F .
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