US criticism, international condemnation and Arab rejection of storming Al-Aqsa

The United States criticized the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday, a move condemned by the United Nations, the European Union and France, while Arab countries rejected it and called for international intervention.

America

In Washington, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that the United States “stands firmly for the preservation of the historic status quo with respect for the holy sites in Jerusalem, and any unilateral action that undermines that status is unacceptable.”

He added that this is “not only unacceptable, but it diminishes the importance of what we consider a vital stage, at a time when we are working to achieve a ceasefire agreement.”

United Nations

“We oppose any attempt to change the status quo regarding the holy sites, and this kind of behaviour is not helpful, it is a provocation that does not work,” Farhan Haq, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told reporters.

European Union

“The European Union condemns the provocations of Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir who, during his visit to the holy sites, called for a violation of the status quo,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter.

France

The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “this new provocation is unacceptable. France calls on the Israeli government to take all necessary measures to ensure respect for the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem.”

Qatar

The State of Qatar condemned, in the strongest terms, the storming of the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque by two ministers in the Israeli occupation government, members of the Knesset and hundreds of settlers, and the imposition of restrictions on the entry of worshipers, considering them provocative actions and a flagrant violation of international law and the Hashemite guardianship of the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed, in a statement on Tuesday, that the repeated attempts to undermine the religious and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque are not only an attack on the Palestinians, but on millions of Muslims around the world.

The Ministry warned of the impact of these violations on the ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and urged the international community to take urgent action to stop these attacks.

In its statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar's firm position on the justice of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, including the full right to practice their religious rituals without restrictions, and to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed, in a statement, the Kingdom's condemnation of the blatant and repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli occupation officials and a number of settlers.

She stressed the importance of respecting religious sanctities, renewing her warning of the consequences of the continuation of these violations of international law and the historical status of the city of Jerusalem, and the provocation of millions of Muslims around the world, especially in light of the humanitarian catastrophe witnessed by the Palestinian people.

Saudi Arabia called on the international community to assume its responsibility towards stopping the continued Israeli violations of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

Egypt

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned the storming, considering in a statement that “these irresponsible and provocative actions represent a violation of international law and the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem.”

She called for the necessity of “the international community playing an active role in confronting the violations that aim to inflame emotions and thwart efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

The Foreign Ministry indicated its country's commitment to “strive to reach a just, permanent and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, which guarantees the establishment of an independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the restoration of all legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”

Jordan

Jordan also condemned, in a statement by the Foreign Ministry, the Israeli storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, considering it a flagrant violation of international law and the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

The statement called for “a clear and firm international position condemning the unilateral Israeli violations and breaches of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites.”

Arab League

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned in a statement the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli extremists. He said, “These raging extremists are pushing things to the brink of the abyss, and are deliberately provoking the feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world.”

More than two thousand Israelis stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday, led by Minister Ben Gvir, and performed prayers on the occasion of the anniversary of the “destruction of the Temple.”

Along with Ben Gvir, the Minister of the Negev and Galilee, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, stormed Al-Aqsa, along with the head of the so-called Temple Mount Administration, Rabbi Shimshon Elboim, and a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, Amit Halevy, from the Likud party led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Today's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque coincides with the continuation of the war waged by Israel, with broad American support, since October 7, on the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 132,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amidst massive destruction and deadly famine.