Jordan sent on Wednesday a formal letter to the Israeli Embassy in Amman, expressing its objection to the incursion of extremist settlers and Israeli Knesset members into the al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram al-Sharif area under the protection of Israeli police. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates’ letter also denounced limiting worshippers from entering the mosque, attacking and desecrating Islamic graves, and escalating attacks on Christians in occupied Jerusalem. The Ministry’s spokesperson Sufian Qudah said the memorandum highlighted the need for Israel, as the occupying power, to adhere to its responsibilities under international law regarding the occupied city of Jerusalem and its religious sites, halt any measures that would undermine the sanctity of these holy places and cease any attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo of Jerusalem. The memorandum also reiterated that the al-Aqsa Mosque, with its total area of 144 dunums, is purely a place of worship for Muslims and that the Jordanian-run Waqf (endowments) and al-Aqsa Affairs Administration in Jerusalem has the exclusive jurisdiction to run all the affairs of the holy site and organize entry into it. Qudah demanded that the Israeli government put an end to all measures that aim to interfere in the affairs of the al-Aqsa Mosque, underscoring the importance of respecting the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctities. “The continuing violations and attacks on the sanctities foreshadow further escalation and are a dangerous trend that must be stopped immediately,” he added.

Source: Jordan News Agency