The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) warned on Tuesday against any Israeli assault on the al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, including constant provocations and abuses and the daily attacks of Israeli occupation authority.
Following an extraordinary meeting in Jeddah, the OIC called on the UN Security Council "to assume its responsibilities" and to stop the dangerous Israeli escalation in East Jerusalem.
At the request of Palestinian authorities and Jordan, the OIC's Executive Committee held the extraordinary open-ended meeting to examine the continued Israeli violations at the al-Aqsa Mosque.
The statement condemned in the strongest terms the storming of the al-Aqsa Mosque on January 3 by a minister in "the Israeli colonial occupation cabinet, who is known for his extremism."
The OIC deemed minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit as a "serious provocation” against Muslims across the world and “a blatant violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, the existing historical and legal situation in Jerusalem and its sanctities and all relevant international norms."
The statement underscored the centrality of the Palestinian cause for the entire Islamic nation, stressing the Arab and Islamic identity of East Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine.
The meeting lauded the countries that rejected and condemned the provocative and aggressive Israeli incursions into the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, calling for sanctions against Ven-Gvir for violating the mosque's sanctity.
Moreover, the OIC reaffirmed that al-Haram al-Sharif is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims that is protected by international law.
It stressed the central role of the al-Quds Committee, under the leadership of Morocco's King Mohamed VI, in confronting the severe measures taken by the Israeli authorities.
The statement reiterated the importance of the historical Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian sanctities in protecting them, their identity, and their existing historical and legal situation.
It urged international governmental organizations to fully adhere to the legal and historical status quo of Jerusalem.
