CAIRO, May 16 (SANA) — The Arab League’s Council at the ministerial level on Friday strongly condemned storming of al-Aqsa Mosque compound by “Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir” under heavy police protection coinciding with the 78th anniversary of the Nakba.
In a statement, the Council denounced what it described as systematic provocations and violations in occupied East Jerusalem, including the closure of the Old City, restrictions preventing worshippers from reaching al-Aqsa, and the authorization of the so-called “Flag March.”
The Council affirmed that those measures form part of a deliberate, state-sponsored policy aimed at Judaizing Jerusalem, erasing its identity, and altering its legal, civilizational, and demographic character.
It reiterated that the State of Palestine holds full legal sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem, and that the occupation possesses no legitimate authority over the city or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.
All unilateral actions taken by Israel, it stressed, are null and void under international law and carry no legal effect, in line with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.
The Council further reaffirmed that the entire al-Aqsa Mosque compound, spanning 144 dunums (approximately 36 acres), is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims, and that the Jordanian-run Jerusalem Waqf and al-Aqsa Affairs Department remains the sole legitimate authority responsible for its administration.
It also underscored the historical Hashemite custodianship over the holy sites and highlighted the roles of the al-Quds Committee and the Jerusalem Endowment Fund (Bayt Mal Al-Quds).
Ben-Gvir’s visit to the al-Aqsa compound on Thursday, during which he raised the Israeli flag and performed provocative gestures under tight police escort, came amid a surge in settler incursions into the sensitive holy site, which is revered by Muslims as al-Haram Al-Sharif.
IZ/MZ
