America News Agency

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemned, in a statement posted on its social media account, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque accompanied by a group of settlers under heavy protection from Israeli forces.

The statement categorically rejected repeated violations and provocations targeting Islamic and Christian holy sites. The ministry noted that these actions should be considered alongside practices aimed at normalizing incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and imposing spatial and temporal divisions at the holy site.

The statement highlighted an increase in violations targeting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, drawing attention to restrictions on worshippers entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, the confiscation of identification documents, searches and obstacles to freedom of worship. The ministry stated that these practices violated the Palestinian people's historical and legal rights in occupied Jerusalem.

The statement argued that these practices, taking place during Israel's electoral process, did not alter the existing status of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates stated that Israel, as an occupying power, had no sovereign rights over occupied Jerusalem or its holy sites, and that Jerusalem was the capital of Palestine.

The ministry called for an end to violations and incursions targeting holy sites and urged the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to take action. The statement emphasized the need to ensure Israel's compliance with international law and relevant international resolutions, end violations and the occupation, and safeguard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.