Saudi Arabia condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and calls for international intervention

Saudi Arabia strongly condemns the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its strongest condemnation of the blatant attacks carried out by officials of the Israeli occupation government, accompanied by heavily armed occupation forces, in storming the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Kingdom affirmed its categorical and absolute rejection of these systematic Israeli violations of international laws and norms, which constitute a flagrant transgression against the sanctity of Islamic holy sites and a deliberate provocation of the feelings of millions of Muslims worldwide.

The historical context and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque

To understand the gravity of these violations, one must consider the historical context and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Spanning 144 dunams, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first of the two qiblas (directions of prayer) and the third holiest site in Islam, a place of worship exclusively for Muslims. The historical and legal status quo, affirmed in numerous international treaties and resolutions, stipulates that the Islamic Waqf Department retains exclusive custodianship and administration of the mosque. Any attempt to alter this status quo or impose a temporal or spatial division constitutes a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, particularly those of the Security Council and UNESCO, which affirm the Islamic character of the site and reject any Israeli sovereignty over it.

The importance of the event and its regional and international repercussions

The storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials carries serious repercussions at the local, regional, and international levels. Locally, these provocations inflame tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories, threatening to escalate the cycle of violence and further deteriorate the security and humanitarian situation. Regionally, these actions undermine Arab and international efforts to establish peace and stability in the Middle East and obstruct attempts to revive the peace process based on the Arab Peace Initiative and the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Internationally, these events present the international community with a true test of its credibility in upholding international law and protecting human rights. Saudi Arabia, through its firm statement, affirms that international silence regarding these violations emboldens the occupying authorities to persist in their settlement and Judaization policies.

Demanding that the international community assume its responsibilities

In closing, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed the paramount importance of the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, fulfilling its legal and moral responsibilities. The Kingdom called for immediate action to halt all Israeli violations and transgressions against the unarmed Palestinian people and to protect the holy and historical sites in occupied Palestine. It also called for compelling the occupying authorities to respect the historical and legal status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque and holding them firmly accountable for their repeated and egregious crimes and practices that threaten international peace and security and further complicate the political landscape in the region.