‘No sovereignty over East Jerusalem’: Dar condemns Al-Aqsa incursions by ‘extremist Israeli settlers’

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that Israel has no sovereignty over East Jerusalem and its holy sites, condemning the incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by “extremist Israeli settlers”. Addressing the ministerial conference in Amman, Jordan, he said that the illegal actions of Israel — the occupying power in occupied Palestine — continued to threaten the sanctity and historical character of the holy sites in Jerusalem. “They undermine international law, disregard UN resolutions, and further erode the prospect of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.” “Pakistan condemns in the strongest possible terms the continued incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli settlers encouraged by senior Israeli ministers and carried out under the protection of occupying forces,” FM Dar stated. By deliberately undermining the religious and historical status of Jerusalem, FM Dar emphasised that Israel was provoking the sentiments of billions of Muslims across the globe. “This appears not only an attempt to undermine regional peace, security and stability but also to drag followers of various religions into a wider conflict,” he said, adding, “We cannot and must not allow that.” “Pakistan condemns Israeli actions and provocations in the strongest possible terms,” he said. He stressed that there should be no ambiguity that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites. “All measures seeking to alter its character and status are null and void and without any legal effect,” he added. The foreign minister said Pakistan reaffirmed its support for the historic and special role played by Jordan and recognised the Jerusalem Endowment and Al-Aqsa Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, as the legal authority with exclusive jurisdiction over the administration of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Moreover, FM Dar said that Pakistan also remained “deeply concerned” over the continuous expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, the establishment of new settlements and the continued oppression of the Palestinian people. “These policies violate international law and further entrench an unlawful occupation.” In Gaza, he said that the humanitarian situation was extremely fragile. “The ceasefire and the implementation of the elements of the Gaza Peace Plan have yielded some improvements; however, 59pc of the population still faces food insecurity and health crises,” FM Dar said. Since the ceasefire, he said that over 1,100 Palestinians had been killed, which called into question the full and faithful implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan. “Arab and Islamic countries must act with unity, resolve and collective action and should first reaffirm the protection of Jerusalem and the holy sites, demanding an immediate cessation of all violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque, preservation of the historical and legal status quo, and unrestricted access to the Old City of Jerusalem and the holy sites,” he said. He said that Arab and Islamic countries should also reject “illegal Israeli settlement activities, annexation attempts, forced displacements, and demographic changes in the occupied Palestinian territory”. “We should support the full and faithful implementation of the comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict and UNSC Resolution No. 2803,” the foreign minister said, adding, “We should also strengthen Arab and Islamic coordination and diplomatic efforts to ensure the protection of the Kashmiri people.” DPM meets Jordanian counterpart Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met his Jordanian counterpart, with the “deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank” coming under discussion, according to the Foreign Office (FO). The FO said Dar met Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on the sidelines of a Ministerial Meeting in Amman to discuss the situation in occupied Jerusalem. The FO said that the foreign ministers exchanged views on regional developments, in particular on the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank. Dar appreciated Jordan’s role in safeguarding the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and its support for the Palestinian people, it added.

“The two leaders welcomed the growing momentum in Pakistan–Jordan bilateral relations and reaffirmed [their commitment] to further enhancing cooperation across political, defence, economic, educational, cultural and people-to-people domains,” it added. Dar and Safadi also discussed the situation in the region, including the recent developments in the conflict between the United States and Iran. They underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for de-escalation and reaffirmed their close coordination at bilateral and multilateral levels to promote peace and stability, including at the United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the statement added. Separately, Dar also held a bilateral meeting with Abdisalam Abdi Ali, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somalia. Alongside exchanging views on regional developments, the foreign ministers also reviewed the longstanding fraternal ties between the two countries. According to the FO, they discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in the “political, economic, defence, education, and capacity-building sectors”. They also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination at multilateral forums, it added.

According to the FO, Dar is in Jordan to attend a ministerial meeting aimed at formulating a unified position on the situation in occupied Jerusalem. It said that he would “reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their just cause” at the ministerial meeting bringing together foreign ministers from Arab League member states and a group of Islamic countries to discuss the deteriorating situation in occupied Jerusalem. The foreign minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting to exchange views on regional developments including Palestine. The FO termed Dar’s participation in the ministerial meeting “a manifestation of Pakistan’s principled support for the Palestinian people” and its commitment to the establishment of an “independent, sovereign and contiguous” State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Pakistan and other Muslim countries have repeatedly condemned “continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers” into Al Aqsa Mosque — Islam’s third-holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed. The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint. Under long-standing arrangements, Jewish people may visit the compound, but are not permitted to pray there. While Israel says it is committed to maintaining this status quo, Palestinians fear it is being eroded. The foreign ministers of Pakistan and eight other Muslim countries in June expressed their “categorical rejection” of any attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.