Pakistan and Seven Muslim Countries Condemn Israeli Settlers’ Al Aqsa Mosque Incursions

Pakistan and seven other Muslim countries condemned “continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers into Al Aqsa Mosque” and called for an immediate halt, in a joint statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on June 2, 2026.

“Archives: Netanyahu leads a provocative incursion at Al-Aqsa”

Ahraminfo

The statement said the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates condemned “the continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers, into Al Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli forces, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards”.

Ahraminfo

It also said the ministers held Israeli authorities responsible for halting what they described as escalatory actions and warned that “repeated Israeli violations exacerbate tensions, fuel instability and extremism”.

The joint statement further reaffirmed “categorical rejection” of attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo at the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem, while recognising the “special role of the historical Hashemite custodianship”.

It stressed that the entire area of Al Aqsa Mosque, “which amounts to 144 dunams”, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims and that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department is the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer the site.

In a separate report, Middle East Eye said a group of Israeli ultranationalists raised the national flag and sang the anthem during a raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, and it cited the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf as saying “At least 199 Israelis took part in the police-protected incursion”.

Middle East Eye also quoted Jerusalem Governorate media director Omar Rajoub, saying “raising the Israeli flag inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, along with performing provocative rituals, is part of a systematic and deliberate official Israeli policy”.

Asharq Al-Awsat English

The same report described how Israeli police restricted access for Palestinian worshippers attempting to enter the mosque and said several reported that their identity cards were confiscated at the complex’s outer gates.

It added that the Waqf said settlers deliberately provoked guards and worshippers by taking photographs inside the courtyards, including in front of the Dome of the Rock.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the storming as a “clear violation of international law that threatens to worsen instability in the region,” according to a statement reported by Yaffa News Network.

Guineematin reported that Israeli police arrested the imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Mohammed al-Abbasi, on Monday evening inside the mosque complex in the Old City of East Jerusalem, and said no official reason was provided.

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It cited WAFA as saying the arrest “occurs in the context of an escalation of Israeli measures against the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” including restrictions imposed on imams, preachers, and worshippers who reside there.

Hamas condemned the arrest and said al-Abbasi had received “an injunction prohibiting him from entering the mosque,” framing it as “flagrant interference in Al-Aqsa's affairs”.

Ahraminfo reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Western Wall at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and that the Jerusalem Governorate described it as a “new provocative step,” noting Netanyahu traveled to celebrate the second day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

Ahraminfo also said “At least 210 settlers entered the precinct of the Al-Aqsa Mosque this Tuesday, under the protection of Israeli police, to carry out religious rituals,” while WAFA confirmed an intensification of incursions over the past 48 hours.