Eight countries condemn attacks on Christian and Islamic shrines in Israel

Israeli settlers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Photo: Al Jazeera

The foreign ministers of eight countries issued a joint statement strongly condemning the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacks on religious sites in Jerusalem, Al Jazeera reports.

The diplomats described the actions of Israeli settlers as an unlawful attempt to alter the historic status of the holy sites and called on the international community to put an end to violations of believers’ rights.

The joint statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates. It said that the mass incursions by settlers, led by Israeli ministers, “fuel hatred and extremism” and "obstruct efforts to advance a just and lasting peace on the basis of the two-State solution."

The diplomats stressed that “Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”

The statement followed a large-scale action on July 23, 2026, when Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under police protection. The incursion was led by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The signatories demanded that Israel immediately lift all restrictions on access to the mosque and put an end to the violence. The document said that the shift from attacks by individual extremist groups to government-level support for them represents a “dangerous shift” in state policy that undermines efforts to achieve peace.

As the UOJ previously reported, Israel is advancing legislation to establish control over holy sites in biblical Samaria.

Read also