Key facts
- Hamas political bureau member Khaled Meshaal warned Israeli actions are paving the way for total control of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Meshaal cited a reported 40-day closure, temporal division for Jewish groups, and spatial division within the courtyard.
- Meshaal called for a "strategy of resistance and jihad" and urged Arab and Muslim-majority countries to support Palestine.
- Hundreds of Israeli settlers raided Al-Aqsa Mosque on September 20.
- National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was filmed praying inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex during the raid.
- The Muslim World League condemned the raids and called for an end to violations of the mosque's status quo.
Hamas political bureau member Khaled Meshaal has warned that Israeli actions and measures around the Al-Aqsa Mosque are "paving the way for total control and domination over the site." Meshaal cited a reported 40-day closure of the mosque, the imposition of temporal division to facilitate incursions by "extremist Jewish groups," and efforts to create "spatial division" by emptying key facilities within the courtyard as evidence of this agenda.
Meshaal stated that Al-Aqsa "stands at a crossroads" and called for steps to protect the site, including a "strategy of resistance and jihad." He also urged Arab and Muslim-majority countries to back Palestine and encouraged Palestinians to maintain a "steadfast presence" at the mosque.
These comments follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tour of tunnels beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex a week prior, ahead of Yom Kippur. Hundreds of Israeli settlers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, raided the Jerusalem holy site on September 20, with the Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate reporting around 800 participants. Ben Gvir was filmed praying inside the complex under heavy police protection.
The Muslim World League strongly condemned the raids, with its secretary-general, Dr Muhammad Al-Issa, denouncing "provocative practices that inflame the sentiments of Muslims around the world." He urged the international community to halt "repeated violations of the mosque and its legal status quo."
The status quo refers to an arrangement where the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex is recognized as an Islamic holy site, with the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf responsible for its administration. However, since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, it has been accused of steadily sidelining the Waqf and undermining the status quo by allowing near-daily incursions and Jewish prayer at the site.