As Jewish holiday celebrations continue, Egypt has once again urged Israel to prevent extremist incursions into the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a statement released Sunday evening by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt expressed its condemnation of “the storming of a group of extremists led by a member of the Israeli Knesset into the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli police forces”, as cited by the “Masrawy” website.
Egypt perceives this move as “a new link in a chain of escalating measures that provoke the sentiments of millions of Muslims worldwide. Such acts carry the peril of igniting violence and tension within the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Egypt pressed the Israeli authorities to “abide by their obligations as the occupying power and cease such escalatory practices that represent a blatant violation of the existing legal and historical status of the city of Jerusalem and its sacred sites.” The Egyptian Foreign Ministry further emphasized “the importance of respecting the current status of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Noble Sanctuary as a pure endowment, spanning its entire 144-dunam area, dedicated solely for Muslim worship.”
Furthermore, Egypt “reiterated its appeal to influential international parties to shoulder their responsibilities in protecting the sanctities of the Palestinian people, defending their legitimate rights, foremost among which is their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
On Sunday, hundreds of settlers, including former Knesset member Yehuda Glick, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups under the protection of Israeli police. Some performed Talmudic prayers and what is termed as “epic prostrations” within its courtyards. It’s anticipated that these incursions will continue on Monday, coinciding with the Jewish “Day of Atonement.”
The Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, is one of the holiest sites in Islam. The mosque, along with the Dome of the Rock, spans an area referred to as the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary. Over the years, tensions have frequently flared between Israelis and Palestinians regarding access and rights to this religious compound. For Muslims, the site is revered as the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. For Jews, the Temple Mount, which lies beneath the compound, is the holiest place in Judaism, marking the location of the First and Second Temples.
