Jordan condemns Israeli ‘crimes’ at Al Aqsa shrine

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani on Wednesday demanded the Israeli occupation authorities to stop its “destructive campaign” against Al Aqsa Mosque and targeting of awqaf workers.

Momani’s statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, came after occupation forces earlier Wednesday prevented the awqaf employees and guards from entering the holy mosque, forced all Muslim worshippers out and allowed Jewish extremists and settlers to enter the compound and perform Talmudic rituals, under the protection of the occupation forces. 

Momani, who is also the government spokesperson, denounced the “repeated crimes by the Israeli security personnel”, who on Wednesday opened fire inside the mosque, injuring dozens of worshippers. 

He warned that Israel’s continued acts of aggression against Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest Muslim shrine, has become a pretext for further “radical policies and terrorism, under the name of religion”.   

Momani called on international and humanitarian organisations and entities, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and UNESCO to pressure Israel to end its siege of Al Aqsa Mosque, comply with its peace agreement with Jordan, which designates the Kingdom as the custodian of the Jerusalem shrines, and stop triggering tensions among the followers of the various faiths.

Also on Wednesday, Azzam Khatib, director of the Jerusalem Awqaf Department, denounced the siege of the holy mosque by the Israeli occupation forces and their forced entry into the mosque in large numbers, thus provoking worshippers and leading to clashes inside the compound. 

Khatib cautioned against the consequences of repeated Israeli violations of Al Aqsa Mosque, noting that the Jordanian government and Jordan’s embassy in Tel Aviv have intervened to put an end to the Israeli violations of Al Aqsa Mosque.