Dar Condemns Israeli Actions at Al-Aqsa, Warns of Wider Regional Conflict

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 5: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday strongly condemned the continued incursions by extremist Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, warning that such actions threaten regional peace and could trigger a wider conflict involving followers of different faiths.

Addressing the Ministerial Meeting on the “Deteriorating Situation in Occupied East Jerusalem” in Amman, Jordan, Dar said the incursions, carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces and encouraged by senior Israeli ministers, deliberately undermine the religious and historical status of Jerusalem and provoke the sentiments of billions of Muslims around the world.

He stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over Occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites, declaring that any measures aimed at altering their historical, religious or legal status are null, void and without legal effect.

The deputy prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the historic Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and recognized the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, under Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, as the sole legal authority responsible for administering Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

Dar said Israel’s continued violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, undermine international law, disregard UN Security Council resolutions and diminish prospects for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. He also voiced concern over the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, settler violence and continued oppression of the Palestinian people, particularly in the occupied West Bank.

Referring to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, he said conditions remain extremely fragile despite the ceasefire and partial implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan. He noted that nearly 59 percent of Gaza’s population continues to face crisis-level food insecurity, while more than 1,100 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the ceasefire, raising serious concerns about its effective implementation.

He added that nearly two million people remain confined to only 30 percent of Gaza’s territory under extremely difficult living conditions.

Calling for unity among Arab and Islamic countries, Dar urged immediate action to halt violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, preserve the historical and legal status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites, reject illegal Israeli settlements and annexation, and ensure accountability for crimes committed against civilians.

He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan and welcomed progress made under the peace process, appreciating the mediation efforts of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye. Dar expressed hope that all commitments under the Gaza Peace Plan would be implemented to pave the way for lasting peace and a just political solution based on international law and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.