Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority countries have issued a joint statement rejecting any efforts to change the historic and legal status of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
The statement was released by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The ministers strongly condemned what they described as repeated violations of the existing status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites by Israeli authorities. They criticized continued entries by Israeli settlers and extremist officials into Al Aqsa Mosque (Al Haram Al Sharif) under police protection, along with the raising of the Israeli flag inside the mosque compound.
The countries said such actions are a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law, calling them an unacceptable provocation for Muslims around the world.
The ministers reaffirmed their complete rejection of any attempts to alter Jerusalem’s historic and legal identity. They also emphasized the importance of preserving the current arrangements and acknowledged the special custodial role of Jordan’s Hashemite leadership.
According to the statement, the entire 144-dunam compound of Al Aqsa Mosque is exclusively a Muslim place of worship. It added that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, linked to Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, remains the only legal authority responsible for managing the site and regulating access.
The joint declaration also condemned the rapid expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, including approval of more than 30 new settlements. It said these steps violate international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.
The ministers further denounced increasing settler violence in the occupied West Bank, including attacks on Palestinian schools and children, and called for accountability.
They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and rejected any plans aimed at annexation or forced displacement of Palestinians.
The statement reaffirmed support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and backed the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
