Al-Aqsa attack by Israeli security forces condemned

The attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque and Muslim worshippers by Israeli security forces overnight from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning has been condemned regionally and internationally. The attack coincided with the start of the Jewish Passover holiday.

Paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were prevented from entering the mosque compound and attending to the dozens of people wounded. Hundreds of Palestinians were detained by the Israeli forces.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs condemned the assault on the mosque and those inside. It called on Israel to remove its forces from Al-Aqsa without delay. The legal status quo is that the Hashemite Kingdom has custodianship over Muslim and Christian holy places in occupied Jerusalem.

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The official spokesman for the ministry, Ambassador Sinan Al-Majali, said at dawn today that the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque was a flagrant violation of Palestinian rights and international laws and conventions. He called on Israel, as the occupying power, to stop its violations of international humanitarian law and put an end to all measures intended to change the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its sanctities. The ambassador warned of the consequences of this dangerous escalation that undermines efforts to end violence and other threats to peace and security. He added that the occupation state is responsible for the safety of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the worshippers.

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry also condemned the Israeli attack, as did the deputy head of Turkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party, who affirmed his country’s strong condemnation of this heinous terrorist attack against the Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan. He pointed out that such attacks against Muslims happen at Al-Aqsa Mosque every year, especially during the month of Ramadan, and insisted that they must be stopped by international organisations, and that the neofascist rulers of Israel must be held accountable for every drop of blood shed and every soul lost.

Iran and Egypt joined in the wave of condemnation. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry noted that the attack led to many injuries among worshippers and those staying in religious seclusion within the mosque, including women, and this was a violation of all international norms. Such abhorrent and deplorable scenes as the repeated Israeli violations of the sanctity of the holy places, said the ministry, fuel feelings of resentment and anger among the Palestinians, Muslims and everyone with a conscience around the world. It called on the Israeli authorities to stop these attacks immediately, not least because they undermine the truce talks in which Egypt is engaged alongside regional and international partners.

The Political Bureau of Ansar Allah in Yemen — the movement known more commonly as the Houthis — also denounced the brutal crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people and the incursions and desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque. It pointed out that these Israeli crimes would not happen without the complicity of the Arab regimes and the silence of the international community.

The movement praised the steadfastness and courage of the Palestinian people, who are facing the Israeli escalation with faith, patience and courage, despite the weapons that the enemy possesses. It also affirmed its support for the Palestinian resistance, and called on the Arab and Islamic nations to stand by the Palestinian people and support them in confronting the brutal occupation state.

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