Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif: Pakistan condemns continued incursions: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Wednesday that Arab and Islamic countries should reaffirm the protection of Jerusalem and its holy sites by demanding an immediate end to all violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, the preservation of the historical and legal status quo, and unrestricted access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its holy sites.

All Islamic countries should reject all illegal Israeli settlement activities, annexation attempts, forced displacement, and demographic changes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334.

This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar while addressing the ministerial meeting on the latest Jerusalem situation held in Amman, Jordan.

Dar said that Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the continued incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif by extremist Israeli settlers, encouraged by senior Israeli ministers and carried out under the protection of the occupying forces.

By deliberately undermining the religious and historical status of Jerusalem, he stated that Israel is provoking the sentiments of billions of Muslims across the globe. This appears to be an attempt to not only undermine the regional peace and stability but also to drag the followers of various religions into a wider conflict.

Let there be no ambiguity: Israel has no sovereignty over Occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. All measures seeking to alter their character or status are null and void and without legal effect.

Pakistan reaffirms its support for the historic and special role of the Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian Holy Sites in Jerusalem and recognizes the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic affairs as the legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction over the administration of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif. The entire 144-dunum area is an exclusive area of Muslim place of worship, and any attempt to impose division is unacceptable and must be rejected unequivocally.

We also remain deeply concerned by the continued expansion of illegal settlements, the establishment of new settlement outposts, escalating settler violence and continued oppression of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the West Bank. These policies violate international humanitarian law, defy the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and further entrench an unlawful occupation. Impunity for these grave violations has emboldened the occupying Power to persist with policies that undermine viability of a Palestinian State, and threaten regional peace and security.

In Gaza, Dar noted that the humanitarian situation is extremely fragile. The ceasefire and the implementation of elements of the Peace Plan have yielded some improvements. However, 59 percent of the population still faces crisis-level food insecurity. Notably, since the ceasefire, over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed. That calls into question the full and faithful implementation of the Plan. Nearly two million people remain confined to just 30 percent of Gaza’s territory, enduring miserable living conditions.

While the ceasefire and President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict have provided an important opportunity to alleviate humanitarian suffering and advance a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, the current moment requires collective responsibility to preserve the opportunity for peace, he emphasised.

Dar called for full and faithful implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict and Security Council Resolution 2803. Pakistan welcomes developments under the Board of Peace towards implementation of the process of disarmament under the Gaza Peace Plan, and appreciate the efforts of the mediating countries including the United States of America, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, in achieving this progress. We hope that with these developments, concrete steps will be taken towards implementing all commitments under the Gaza Peace Plan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026