JAKARTA - The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Arab countries or the majority of Islam which is called the Group-8 or the New York Group, condemned the repeated provocations of Israeli settlers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The foreign ministers of Indonesia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan condemned the continued attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the extremist Israeli occupation under the protection of Israeli forces.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers "condemned in the strongest terms the continued attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque," Anadolu reported (3/6).
"They stressed that these provocative and unacceptable actions are a clear violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical status and legal status of holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem," the statement said.
Israeli settlers again visited the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, which is under the protection of the Israeli police on Sunday.
Director of the Jerusalem Government Media Department Omar Rajoub said, "the raising of the Israeli flag and provocative rituals in Al-Aqsa Mosque are part of the deliberate and systematic Israeli policy by the occupation to impose a new reality in East Jerusalem, undermining the historical and legal status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The foreign ministers also condemned Israel, as the occupying power, for its systematic violations and ongoing actions aimed at changing the historical, legal, and demographic character of occupied East Jerusalem and undermining the sanctity and status of Muslim and Christian holy sites.
The ministers reiterated their "firm rejection" of all attempts to change the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its Muslim and Christian holy sites, stressing that this status must be preserved, while recognizing the special role of the Hashemite historical guardianship in this regard.
The main diplomats of each country also reaffirmed that the entire area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which covers 144 dunums, is a special place of worship for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Waqf Department and the Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Waqf and Islamic Affairs, are the only legal authorities with exclusive jurisdiction to manage the affairs of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and regulate access to it.
In their statement, the Foreign Ministers called for accountability of the Israeli authorities for these escalatory actions, warning that Israel's repeated violations increase tensions, trigger instability and extremism, undermine international efforts for peace, and are a clear violation of Israel's obligations under international law.
"They called for an immediate cessation of all such illegal and provocative Israeli practices and reaffirmed the need for full respect for the historical and legal status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque," the statement added.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and their firm support for the realization of their legitimate and inalienable national rights, especially the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
They also reaffirmed their support for all efforts aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
It is known that the New York Group is eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries that met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, USA in September 2025. This includes Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
The group then held a ministerial-level meeting on Palestine in Istanbul, Turkey, which discussed the implementation of the Gaza peace plan, including concrete steps to ensure the effectiveness of the ceasefire and support for the reconstruction process in the Palestinian enclave by November 2025.
These countries were also participants in the Gaza Peace Summit or the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit on October 13.
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