Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Sunday, August 3, strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and a group of Knesset members.
Ben-Gvir entered the mosque compound under heavy police protection to mark the anniversary of the so-called “destruction of the Temple,” a move denounced by the Kingdom as a dangerous provocation.
In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that such actions fuel regional tensions and violate international norms.
The Kingdom urged the international community to intervene and halt Israeli violations, which undermine peace efforts and inflame religious sensitivities.
Jordan also issued a stern rebuke. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah called the act a “flagrant breach” of international and humanitarian law and reaffirmed Amman’s rejection of Israeli sovereignty over the mosque and the occupied city of Jerusalem.
He warned against continued provocations targeting Islamic and Christian holy sites.
According to the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, 1,251 Israeli settlers — led by Ben-Gvir — entered the Al-Aqsa compound on Sunday morning and performed Talmudic rituals under police escort, describing it as part of a “systematic assault” on the site’s sanctity.
The Palestinian presidency labelled the incursion “provocative,” pointing to the Israeli government’s increasingly extremist stance. It called on the global community — particularly the United States — to hold Israel accountable for repeated violations of international law.
Condemnations also came from the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), both warning that such provocations risk igniting wider unrest and challenging the Hashemite custodianship of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in occupied East Jerusalem, is Islam’s third-holiest site. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it housed two ancient Jewish temples.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980 following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war — a move not recognised by most of the international community.
