ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority nations on Wednesday strongly condemned Israel for keeping the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque closed to Muslim worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan, describing the move as a violation of international law and the long-standing historical status quo governing the sacred site.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar criticized restrictions on access to the mosque and other religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Located within the Haram Al-Sharif compound in East Jerusalem’s Old City, Al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third-holiest site and attracts thousands of worshippers, especially during Ramadan. Access to the compound has long been a sensitive flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ministers condemned what they described as the “continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif to Muslim worshippers, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan,” and rejected the restrictions as illegal and unjustified.
They also denounced what they called Israel’s “provocative actions” at the site and against worshippers, stressing that Israel “has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
The statement reaffirmed that the entire Al-Aqsa compound — covering 144 dunams — is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims. It emphasized that the administration of the site falls under the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, which operates under Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.
The ministers called on Israel to immediately reopen the mosque’s gates, lift access restrictions to Jerusalem’s Old City, and ensure that Muslim worshippers can freely reach the holy site.
They also urged the international community to adopt a firm stance to compel Israel to halt what they described as ongoing violations against Islamic and Christian holy places in Jerusalem.
The Al-Aqsa compound — known to Muslims as Haram Al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount — has been a focal point of tensions for decades. Under long-standing arrangements, the Islamic Waqf administered by Jordan manages the site, while Israeli authorities oversee security and control access to the Old City.
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Restrictions around the compound often intensify during religious periods such as Ramadan, when large numbers of Palestinian worshippers attempt to attend prayers at the mosque, frequently leading to protests and heightened tensions across Jerusalem and the wider region.
