Jordan has condemned the continued incursions by Israeli extremist settlers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied al-Quds, saying the provocative moves are a “blatant violation of international law.”
Sinan Majali, spokesperson for Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates made the remarks in a statement on Sunday, after hundreds of Israeli settlers, under heavy protection by the regime forces, broke into the holy site earlier in the day, Palestine’s official Wafa news agency reported.
“The ongoing provocative practices against the holy al-Aqsa Mosque and the frequent escalations are a blatant and unacceptable violation of international law and the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctities,” Majali said.
He went on to say that Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa as well as the regime’s raids across the occupied territories represent a “dangerous trend” that must be halted immediately.
The Jordanian spokesman further called on Israel as the “occupying power” to cease all practices and violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and “to respect its sanctity,” reiterating that the holy site is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims.
Majali also warned against the continuation of these violations, emphasizing the need to respect the authority of the Islamic Endowments Department in al-Quds and the affairs of the holy mosque.
Palestinian media reports said on Sunday that Israeli settlers, led by extremist rabbi and former Knesset member Yehudah Glick, entered the courtyards of the holy site in large numbers through the Moroccan Gate, also known as the Mughrabi Gate, and made a provocative tour of the premises.
The Islamic Endowment Department in al-Quds was cited by the Palestinian Shehab news agency as saying that 522 settlers provocatively performed rituals and Talmudic prayers in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in violation of the site’s status quo.
Safa News Agency, another Palestinian media, said the settlers performed provocative dances and songs at Bab al-Silsilah after leaving al-Aqsa and in front of Bab al-Qattanin, west of the mosque.
The occupation regime has deployed soldiers inside and around the mosque to secure the intrusion and prevent Palestinian worshipers from entering the holy site since morning.
Extremist settlers’ groups had earlier called for the storming of al-Aqsa on the eve of the so-called Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.
Israeli settler incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque and violence against Palestinians have been on the rise since the hardline cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office last December.
Such mass settler break-ins almost always take place at the behest of Tel Aviv-backed temple groups and under the auspices of the Israeli police in al-Quds, leading to daily confrontations with Palestinians at the mosque, with many injured, arrested, and killed.
Non-Muslim worship at the compound is prohibited according to an agreement between Israel and Jordan following the regime’s seizure of East al-Quds in 1967.
