UAE, Saudi condemn storming of Al Aqsa courtyard by Israeli minister

The UAE and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday strongly condemned the storming of Al Aqsa Mosque courtyard by an Israeli minister under the protection of Israeli forces.

In a statement, the UAE's  Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) reiterated its firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there.

Furthermore, the Ministry underscored the need to respect the custodial role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over the holy sites and endowments in accordance with international law and the historical situation at hand, and not to compromise the authority of the Jerusalem Endowment Administration and Al Aqsa Mosque.

The Ministry called upon Israeli authorities to assume responsibility for reducing escalation and instability in the region.

Moreover, the Ministry stressed the need to support all regional and international efforts to advance the Middle East Peace Process, end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution, and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Saudi Arabia also condemned "provocative actions" by an Israeli official who it said had "stormed" the Al Aqsa mosque compound on Tuesday, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The foreign ministry expresses the condemnation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the provocative action by an Israeli official who stormed the al-Aqsa mosque compound," the statement said.

Israel's new far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was not referred to by name in the Saudi statement, briefly visited the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
Agencies