Egypt has condemned the repeated incursions by Israeli settlers into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, describing the practices and religious rituals carried out there as violations of the site's established historical and legal status. The Egyptian foreign ministry issued a statement on Thursday, warning against the continuation of such incursions amid a broader context of Israeli activities and statements aimed at changing the existing situation and imposing a new reality at the holy site.
The Egyptian ministry stressed the need to preserve the historical and legal status of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, as well as the established religious status of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Maintaining the existing arrangements governing the holy sites was essential to preventing further tension, the ministry said. It also warned that the Israeli repeated incursions and policy of systematic escalation, including actions and statements that undermine the existing arrangements, threaten security and stability in the occupied Palestinian territories and the wider region.
The incursions came on the sixth day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which runs from 26 September to 2 October this year. Hundreds of settlers entered the compound under heavy Israeli police protection and performed Jewish religious rituals, according to Palestinian sources. The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf has reported repeated settler incursions during the Jewish holiday period, with large groups entering the compound under police protection.
On Wednesday, Palestinian sources reported that more than 2,000 settlers entered the site, with some performing prayers, religious rituals and group chants in its courtyards. Al-Aqsa Mosque, located within the Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound in Jerusalem's Old City, is one of Islam's holiest sites. Under the longstanding status quo, the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf administers the compound, while Jewish prayer is traditionally conducted at the adjacent Western Wall.
Egypt has repeatedly called for preservation of this arrangement and respect for Jordan's Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites. The Egyptian foreign ministry has issued similar warnings in recent weeks over settler and Israeli official incursions into Al-Aqsa, including during Yom Kippur, when Cairo warned that such actions could fuel further regional tension and escalation.
The ministry's statement on Thursday emphasized the need to uphold the existing historical and legal status quo at the mosque. Egypt's warnings come as Israeli settlers continue incursions into the Al-Aqsa compound during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The situation has raised concerns about the potential for further escalation and tension in the region.
The incident has strained relations between Egypt and Israel, with Egypt giving the Ethiopian embassy counsellor 48 hours to leave in response to Ethiopia declaring an Egyptian diplomat persona non grata. The region remains on high alert as tensions escalate over the Al-Aqsa Mosque incursions.
Key points
- Egypt condemns Israeli settlers' incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, warning of escalation and tension in the region.
- The incursions violate the site's established historical and legal status, and threaten security and stability in the occupied Palestinian territories and the wider region.
- Egypt stresses the need to preserve the historical and legal status of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
