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By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - The foreign ministers of eight Arab and Islamic nations have issued a strongly worded joint statement condemning what they described as "continued incursions" by extremist Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli forces, warning that such actions violate international law and threaten regional stability.

The statement, issued Wednesday, was signed by the top diplomats of Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The ministers condemned "in the strongest terms" the entry of extremist Israeli settlers into the holy site, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.

They stressed that these provocative actions constitute "a flagrant violation of international law, the relevant United Nations resolutions, and the historical and legal status quo at the holy sites in occupied east Jerusalem."

The statement also condemned "systematic violations and measures carried out by Israel, the occupying power, aimed at altering the historical, legal, and demographic character of occupied east Jerusalem and undermining the sanctity and status of its Islamic and Christian holy sites."

The ministers reiterated that the entire 144-dunam area of Al-Aqsa Mosque is "a place of worship exclusively for Muslims."

They affirmed that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is "the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction" to administer the site and regulate entry.

The statement recognized "the special role of the historical Hashemite custodianship" in preserving the status quo.

The foreign ministers held Israeli authorities responsible for halting what they called "escalatory actions" and warned that repeated Israeli violations "exacerbate tensions, fuel instability and extremism, undermine international efforts to achieve peace, and constitute a clear breach of Israel's obligations under international law."

They called for "an immediate cessation of all such Israeli illegal and provocative practices" and reaffirmed the need to respect the historical and legal status quo at the holy site in its entirety.

The joint statement reaffirmed the ministers' "unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people" and support for their "legitimate and inalienable national rights," foremost among them "the right to self-determination and the realization of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

The group backed all efforts aimed at "ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace based on the two-State solution in accordance with international law, the relevant United Nations resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative."