Awqaf minister condemns Israeli incursions into Al Aqsa

AMMAN — Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad Khalayleh on Monday decried the Israeli occupation forces’ frequent incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif.

The minister expressed concern over the intensification of these activities during the holy month of Ramadan. The use of force to remove worshippers from the mosque and hinder their entry, while occupation forces armed with weapons roam around the holy site, disrupts the peaceful atmosphere of the mosque, Khalayleh said, adding that "such actions are seen as a blatant violation of the sanctity of the holy site, and an attempt to alter its historical and legal status".

The minister underscored that Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif is a sacred site solely for Muslims, and their right to access it is indisputable, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

He called upon the Israeli authorities to stop meddling in the affairs of the mosque, with its total area of 144 dunums, stressing that the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department has the “exclusive authority” to supervise the holy site’s affairs.  

The mosque's affairs are overseen under the Hashemite Custodianship, he emphasised.