General Secretariat condemns extremist settlers' incursions into blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque

​The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector, strongly condemns the incursions carried out by extremist settlers into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, as well as the accompanying provocative practices and violations that undermine the sanctity of the holy site and constitute a dangerous escalation and a provocation to the sentiments of Muslims throughout the world.

The General Secretariat affirms that these practices represent a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law and constitute a breach of the historic and legal status quo at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, which, in its entirety, encompassing an area of 144 dunums, is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims.

The Directorate of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem Affairs, affiliated with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is responsible for its administration and custodianship in accordance with the historic Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The General Secretariat also expresses its deep concern over the continued restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities on worshippers' access to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the targeting of employees of the Directorate of Islamic Waqf and mosque guards, and the intensification of policies of expulsion and arrest.

It stresses that such measures form part of ongoing attempts to impose a new reality and alter the existing historic and legal status quo in the Holy City and its sacred sites.