LONDON: Jordan on Wednesday condemned Israel for the continuing closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as worshippers were prevented from entering for a 12th straight day.
The Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs denounced the decision to block access to the mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, which will end in just over a week.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Fuad Majali said Jordan strongly rejected what he described as illegal actions at the mosque and ongoing provocations against worshippers, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Israel does not hold sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem, including its Islamic and Christian holy sites, he added, and should immediately reopen the mosque and allow worshipers to freely access the site without obstruction.
He called on the international community to demand that Israeli authorities stop violating Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and respect their sanctity.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is administered by Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf, which holds the legal authority to manage the compound and control access.
Israel has announced a state of emergency as a result of its conflict with Iran. In conjunction with the US it has been carrying out airstrikes on Iranian territory since Feb. 28. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed by an attack in the early stages of the conflict, along with other senior officials. In response, Iran has continued to strike Israel and several other countries in the region with missiles and armed drones.
