The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates today condemned the ongoing violations by Jewish extremists against the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram Al Sharif and Israeli restrictions on Palestinians in the Old City of Jerusalem, according to the Jordanian Petra news agency.
Ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah urged Israel to live up to its obligations under international law as the occupying power in East Jerusalem, stressing that all practices and violations against Haram Al-Sharif must end and its sanctity respected.
He reiterated that Al Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of 144 dunums, is purely a place of worship for Muslims, said Petra.
“Israel has no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem and has no right to impose restrictions on the entry to the holy compound,” he said, noting that the Jerusalem Waqf (endowments) Department of the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has the exclusive jurisdiction over Al Aqsa affairs.
The escalating provocations inside and around Haram Al Sharif are “a flagrant and unacceptable” violation of international law and the existing historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, said Qudah.