Muslim nations condemn Israeli raids on al-Aqsa as UN experts warn of 'settler terror'

A group of Muslim countries has strongly condemned Israeli settler incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound amid escalating violations and rising tensions across the occupied territories.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement on Tuesday, condemning "in the strongest terms the continued raids on al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli settlers.”

According to the statement, the continued raids on al-Aqsa Mosque “by extremist Israeli settlers [come] under the protection of Israeli forces.”

The ministers also condemned the raising of Israeli flags inside the mosque compound.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, has repeatedly been stormed by extremist Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, with many performing provocative rituals inside the compound in defiance of its historical and legal status. 

“These provocative and unacceptable acts constitute a clear violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical and legal status of the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem,” the statement said.

The ministers also denounced the Tel Aviv regime for pursuing systematic policies aimed at altering the historical, legal and demographic character of occupied al-Quds, while undermining the sanctity of Muslim and Christian holy places.

They called for an immediate halt to all provocative Israeli actions and reiterated that the entire al-Aqsa Mosque compound remains an Islamic place of worship.

The statement warned that repeated Israeli violations risk further escalating tensions, fueling instability and undermining international efforts to achieve peace.

The condemnation came as a team of 14 United Nations experts, including Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, issued a “stark warning” over a surge in Israeli settler violence across the occupied Palestinian territories.

Organized Israeli settler violence against Christians hits new high: Report

Israeli settler attacks targeting Christians and non-Jewish communities in occupied al-Quds have significantly increased, according to a report.

The experts said at least 13 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 500 injured in settler attacks during the first five months of the year.

“Relentless attacks by the settler-colonial movement, carried out with the support and acquiescence of Israel, have become a daily terror in Palestinian lives,” the experts said.

They warned that the violence, carried out with “full impunity,” has become an instrument of coercion, facilitating the forced displacement of Palestinians and accelerating ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories.

The ministers and UN experts called for international action to protect Palestinian rights and preserve the status of the holy sites in occupied al-Quds.

The foreign ministers of the eight Muslim countries also reaffirmed their support for efforts aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a just and lasting peace based on international law, relevant UN resolutions and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with occupied al-Quds as its capital.

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