ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim-majority countries on Wednesday condemned Israel’s continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan, calling the move a violation of international law and the historical status quo governing the holy site.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar issued a joint statement criticizing restrictions on access to the mosque and other places of worship in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, located within the Haram Al-Sharif compound in East Jerusalem’s Old City, is the third-holiest site in Islam and draws thousands of worshippers, particularly during Ramadan. Access to the site has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar condemn Israeli occupation authorities’ continued closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif to Muslim worshippers particularly during the holy month of Ramadan,” the joint statement said.

The ministers said restrictions on entry to Jerusalem’s Old City and its places of worship constituted a violation of international law and the established arrangements governing the site.

They expressed “absolute rejection and condemnation of this illegal and unjustified measure, as well as Israel’s continued provocative actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram Al-Sharif and against worshippers.”

The statement also stressed that Israel “has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”

The ministers reiterated that the entire compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, covering 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims and said the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, holds authority to administer the site and regulate entry.

They called on Israel “to immediately cease the closure of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, remove access restrictions to the Old City of Jerusalem, and to refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers’ access to the mosque.”

The ministers also urged the international community to take what they described as a firm stance to compel Israel to halt violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Al-Aqsa compound, known to Muslims as Haram Al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, has been a focal point of tensions for decades, with access restrictions and police raids periodically sparking unrest.

Under longstanding arrangements dating back decades, the Islamic Waqf administered by Jordan oversees the site, while Israeli authorities control security and access to the Old City.

Restrictions around the compound often intensify during religious holidays such as Ramadan, when large numbers of Palestinian worshippers seek to attend prayers at the mosque. Disputes over access to the site have repeatedly triggered protests and broader tensions in Jerusalem and across the region.