International

Organization of Islamic Cooperation Condemns Settlers' Raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque

Al-Madinah - Jeddah

Date of publication: July 23, 2026 20:55 KSA

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned in the strongest terms the raid, led by officials of the extremist Israeli occupation government, accompanied by over 3,000 settler gangs, on the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy protection from occupation forces, coinciding with the so-called 'Tisha B'Av' (commemoration of the destruction of the Temple), in a blatant and flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo in holy Jerusalem, and a provocation to the feelings of Muslims and the peoples of the world.

The General Secretariat affirmed that this provocation, along with the calls and mobilization accompanying it to increase the unprecedented numbers of extremist settler raiders on Al-Aqsa Mosque amid military restrictions and preventing worshippers from reaching it, in addition to performing 'Talmudic rituals' during their incursions that included the so-called 'epic prostration' and chanting songs loudly, constitutes a real threat that contributes to inflaming and exploding religious conflict in the region. It stated that these incursions fall within the systematic policy of the Israeli occupation, aimed at imposing a fait accompli by force and undermining the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque, paving the way for entrenching temporal and spatial division, as part of the endeavor to Judaize Jerusalem and holy sites.

The General Secretariat stressed that the holy sanctuary of Al-Haram Al-Sharif, in its entire area of 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and that any unilateral measures or attempts to impose new facts by the Israeli occupation authorities constitute an assault on this historical and legal right to Al-Aqsa Mosque. It affirms that all Israeli measures aimed at changing the historical, demographic, and legal character of the holy city of Jerusalem are null and void under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and cannot produce any legal effect, affirming that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. The General Secretariat called on the international community and all its institutions to take urgent action to stop these violations, ensure freedom of worship in occupied Jerusalem, and hold the occupation government accountable for its crimes and violations.