Arab Jerusalem committee to launch int’l platform on Israeli violations at holy sites

CAIRO – 5 August 2026: An Arab ministerial committee tasked with international action to counter illegal Israeli policies and actions in Jerusalem have agreed to launch an international platform to document Israeli violations.

Arab foreign ministers who are members of the committee, as well as ministers and representatives from Indonesia, Türkiye, Pakistan and Malaysia, convened in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Wednesday.

Participants agreed to establish a permanent institutional mechanism, including an international media platform to document alleged Israeli violations against holy sites and worshippers and highlight their impact on international peace and security.

They also called for a joint ministerial meeting between the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next September to coordinate efforts in response to the Israeli escalation in Jerusalem.

Rejecting Israeli Attempts

The ministers and representatives rejected Israeli attempts to alter Jerusalem's legal and demographic status, while calling on the international community to take immediate action.

In a joint declaration, they rejected Israeli measures to change the Islamic and Christian Arab identity of the city.

The ministers called on the UN Security Council and the international community to take immediate action to halt Israeli measures in Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The final communiqué stated that all Israeli measures aimed at changing Jerusalem's identity or legal and demographic status “are null and void, have no legal effect, and violate international law.”

 

Participants reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories and the capital of a future Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders.

They said the two-state solution, in line with international resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the New York Declaration, remains the only path to a just and comprehensive peace.

The statement called on the international community and the UN Security Council to act immediately to stop Israeli settlement expansion, land annexation, and actions targeting Palestinian institutions and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

It further urged an end to violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and called for efforts to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Al-Aqsa Mosque Status

The participants condemned Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque, including attempts to alter its historical and legal status, impose temporal and spatial divisions, increase incursions by extremist Israeli officials and settlers, restrict worshippers' access, and carry out excavations beneath and around the site.

The meeting reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunum Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is an exclusive Muslim place of worship.

It stressed that the Jerusalem waqf department, affiliated with Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, remains the sole legal authority responsible for administering the site and regulating access to it.

Violations Against Christians

The declaration also condemned violations affecting Christian holy sites, churches, clergy and worshippers, while reiterating support for the Hashemite custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

 

Participants called for greater support for Palestinians in Jerusalem by strengthening Palestinian institutions and development initiatives, while praising the work of the Al-Quds Committee and the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency in protecting the city and its residents.

The declaration warned that Israeli actions targeting Islamic holy sites could inflame the sentiments of nearly two billion Muslims worldwide and risk triggering a broader religious conflict with consequences extending beyond the region.

Relocating Missions to Jerusalem

It also rejected any unilateral decisions to relocate or open diplomatic missions in occupied Jerusalem, saying such moves violate international law and UN resolutions.

Participants announced a joint diplomatic initiative to rally international support for preserving the city's historical and legal status.