Morocco condemns 'extremist Jews' storming Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque

RABAT, Morocco

Morocco has condemned the storming of East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque by illegal Israeli settlers celebrating Jewish Passover on Thursday.

Calling it a provocative act, a Moroccan Foreign Ministry statement voiced its “strong condemnation to the incursion into the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque by some extremists and their followers, and their engaging in provocative practices that violate its sanctity.”

The statement reiterated the kingdom's rejection of any measures that alter the legal and historical status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The ministry said achieving a just, comprehensive peace, and stability in the region requires the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, following the internationally recognized two-state solution.

Earlier Thursday, at least 1,679 illegal Israeli settlers in groups forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday, the Islamic Endowments Authority in Jerusalem said.

The authority added that the settler incursions occurred under “strict measures and restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers by the occupation police.”

Since the week-long Passover began Monday evening, hundreds of illegal settlers have been storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex daily under tight police guard, causing severe tensions in various parts of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.

Since 2003, Israel has allowed illegal settlers into the flashpoint compound almost daily except on Fridays and Saturdays.

Palestinians also accuse Israel of taking measures to “Judaize” Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in an attempt to erase its Arab and Islamic identity.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar