Eight Arab and Muslim countries condemned the entry of extremist groups and thousands of Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. In a joint statement issued Thursday, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates voiced concern over what they described as a large-scale entry led by extremist Israeli ministers under heavy Israeli police security. More than 4,000 settlers and members of hardline groups entered the compound on Tisha B’Av, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also entered under police protection.

The ministers said the actions were provocative, encouraged hatred and extremism, and hindered efforts to establish a just and lasting peace through a two-state solution. They described them as an illegal attempt to alter the historic and legal status of Jerusalem’s holy sites, stating that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Muslim and Christian holy sites. The eight countries called on Israel, described in the statement as the occupying power, to immediately lift all restrictions imposed on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.