Jordan, PA Accuse “Israeli” Extremists of Storming Haram Al-Sharif

The Jordanian foreign ministry, in a statement released on Sunday, described the visits as “an incursion by extremists into the mosque’s premises.”

The visits are carried out under police protection and do not include entry into any of the two mosques at the compound.

“The [Jewish] extremists’ raids, under the protection of the ‘Israeli’ police, are a flagrant violation of the existing legal and historic status, international law and ‘Israel's’ obligations,” the ministry said.

It said that the entire al-Aqsa Mosque area “is a place of worship for Muslims, and the [Jordanian-controlled] Islamic Wakf [Trust] was the only party entitled to manage the site.”

The Jordanian statement called on the “Israeli” authorities “to stop the violations and respect the legal and historic status quo.”

It further called on the international community to pressure the “Israeli” entity “to stop the ongoing violations and provocations at al-Aqsa Mosque.”

The Islamic Wakf Department in east al-Quds [Jerusalem] said in a separate statement that “230 Jewish extremists stormed the mosque [on Sunday], conducted tours, and practiced public Talmudic rituals and prayers inside its yards.”

It condemned Jewish extremists for making “provocative tours” near the entrances to the Haram Al-Sharif. The Islamic Wakf Department accused the “Israeli” police of turning al-Aqsa Mosque compound into a “military barracks to protect Jewish extremists invading the mosque.” It too said that the entity was seeking to alter the “long-standing religious, historical and legal status of the mosque.”

On Monday, the PA also denounced the “invasions” by “Israelis” into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. In a statement, the PA’s official news agency described the visits as “provocative tours” and said that “Israeli” settlers performed religious rituals at the eastern section of the compound.