Saudi Arabia condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and reiterated its call for respecting Jerusalem’s historical status quo.

“The Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms the flagrant and continuous storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation officials and settlers,” the foreign ministry said.

It also stressed the importance of respecting religious sanctities and warned against the consequences of “the continuous violation of international law and of Jerusalem’s historical status quo and of the provocation of millions of Muslims across the world.”

The ministry reiterated its call on the international community to assume its responsibility toward ending “these continuous Israeli violations.”

Earlier on Tuesday, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led hundreds of Israelis into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem and performed prayers marking a Jewish holiday.

The compound is Islam’s third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national identity but it is also Judaism’s holiest place, revered as the site of the ancient temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

While Jews and other non-Muslims are allowed to visit the mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem during specified hours, they are not permitted to pray or display religious symbols.

In recent years, the restrictions have been increasingly flouted by hardline religious nationalists like Ben-Gvir, prompting sometimes violent reactions from Palestinians.

Jordan’s foreign ministry also condemned the “storming” of the mosque, calling it a “flagrant violation of international law.”

“The continual violations of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctities require a clear and firm international position that condemns these violations,” ministry spokesperson Sufyan al-Qudah said in a statement.

Tuesday’s entry into the Al-Aqsa compound comes on the Jewish mourning day of Tisha Be’Av that commemorates the destruction of the ancient temple.

Last month too, Ben-Gvir, who is known for provocative gestures, said he had prayed inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, defying the longstanding rules that permit Jewish visits but forbid prayer.