Foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar denounced ongoing Israeli restrictions on Muslim and Christian worship in occupied Jerusalem in a Monday statement.

The joint statement rejected the prevention of worshippers from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque and the barring of the Latin Patriarch and the Custos of the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday mass.

The ministers described these actions as “blatant violations” of international law and the historic status quo of the holy sites.

The ministers highlighted that Israel, as the occupying power, has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem. They specifically condemned the 30-consecutive-day closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque gates, including during the holy month of Ramadan, warning that such escalatory measures threaten regional and international peace.

Reiterating the legal status of the sites, the statement affirmed that the Al-Aqsa Mosque, spanning 144 dunums, is a place of worship for Muslims alone.

It emphasized that the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, under the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, holds exclusive jurisdiction over the site’s management.

The group called on the international community to take a firm stand to compel Israel to end its illegal practices and remove restrictions on access to Jerusalem’s Old City immediately.