CAIRO/RAMALLAH, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Israeli settlers, accompanied by government ministers and under heavy police protection, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of the occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, triggering widespread condemnation across the Middle East.
The Palestinian Presidency denounced the incursion as a "dangerous violation and escalation" and a "flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo," warning that it reflects a systematic policy to impose new realities and attempt to divide the mosque "temporally and spatially."
In a statement carried by Palestinian news agency WAFA, the presidency stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over Jerusalem and its holy sites, calling on the international community to compel Israel to cease all violations in the Palestinian territories.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy strongly condemned the storming, saying such incursions have increased significantly in recent months, reflecting what he described as an ongoing plan to impose a temporal and spatial division of the holy site.
He warned that the plan poses a grave danger and is backed by forces shaping Israeli government policies, adding that Israeli attempts to alter the status quo in the Old City violate international law and risk inflaming tensions.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also condemned the storming, particularly the participation of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Knesset members, describing it as a flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo.
It warned that such actions would fuel tensions, undermine de-escalation efforts, and threaten regional peace and security, urging the international community to intervene.
According to the Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, more than 3,000 settlers stormed the compound to mark Tisha B'Av, an annual Jewish fast day.
The compound, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is one of the most sensitive religious sites in the region. Under long-standing arrangements, Muslims may pray there while non-Muslims may visit but not conduct rituals.
Israel seized East Jerusalem, including the Old City, in 1967 and later annexed it in a move not recognized internationally. ■
