Malaysia condemns Israel’s Ramadan restrictions at Al-Aqsa

ISTANBUL

Malaysia on Thursday strongly condemned Israel over the ongoing restrictions on Muslim worshippers’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

“The discriminatory and arbitrary restrictions imposed on access to Jerusalem's Old City and its places of worship constitute a grave violation of international law and international humanitarian law, as well as the historical and legal status quo governing the holy sites in Jerusalem,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that such actions provoke Muslim worshippers and “further inflame tensions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

Israel has no claim to the holy site in Occupied East Jerusalem or its Muslim and Christian sites, and the entire compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, it said.

The statement emphasized that the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places remains the sole legitimate authority responsible for administering the site and regulating access to it.

Malaysia urged the international community to pressure Israel to end what it described as ongoing violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates also condemned Israeli occupation authorities over the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque gates to Muslim worshippers, particularly during Ramadan.