tag

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have condemned repeated Israeli violations of the historical and legal status quo of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, particularly ongoing settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection and the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards.In a joint statement, the ministers called the provocations a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and an unacceptable affront to Muslims worldwide. They rejected any attempts to alter the existing status quo in Jerusalem, while acknowledging the special role of Jordan's historic Hashemite custodianship over the holy sites.The ministers reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunam area of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that the Jerusalem Waqf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department — affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf — holds exclusive legal jurisdiction over the mosque's administration and access.They also condemned Israeli settlement expansion, including approval of more than 30 new settlements, as a violation of international law, UN Security Council resolutions, and the International Court of Justice's 2024 advisory opinion, and denounced escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including attacks on schools and children, calling for accountability.The ministers stressed that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory and that annexation attempts and forced displacement are wholly unacceptable, warning that such measures undermine the two-state solution and obstruct peace efforts.They called on the international community to compel Israel to halt its escalation, and reiterated their unwavering support for Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. 

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have welcomed the invitation extended to their leaders by US President Donald Trump to join the Board of Peace. The ministers announced their countries’ shared decision to join the Board of Peace. Each country will sign the joining documents according to their respective relevant legal and other necessary procedures, including Egypt, Pakistan, and the UAE, who have already announced to join. The ministers reiterated their countries’ support for the peace efforts led by President Trump, and reaffirm their countries’ commitment to support the implementation of the mission of the Board of Peace as a transitional administration, as set out in the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict and endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. The resolution is aimed at consolidating a permanent ceasefire, supporting the reconstruction of Gaza, and advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law, thereby paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan discussed developments in the Gaza Strip, as well as ways to enhance bilateral relations, during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.The two ministers emphasised the importance of implementing the latest United Nations Security Council resolution on the Gaza Strip and enabling the International Stabilisation Force to carry out its duties.The meeting also reviewed Egypt's efforts to consolidate the Sharm El-Sheikh peace agreement and to support the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. In addition, the ministers discussed a number of regional issues of mutual interest, ways to implement the outcomes of the recent Joint Planning Group meeting held in Ankara, Turkiye, and preparations for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Cairo to chair the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, scheduled for 2026.