On Sunday, Jordan demanded an immediate cessation of Israeli abuses at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.
A spokesperson for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Haitham Abu Alfoul, stated that settlement intrusions into the holy site “are a flagrant and intolerable violation of international law and the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctuaries.”
The spokesperson stated that the Jordanian-run Jerusalem Endowment Department is the legal organization responsible for managing Al-Aqsa.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II signed an agreement in March 2003 that gave Jordan the responsibility to “guard Jerusalem and its holy sites” and confirmed Jordan’s role as custodian of the city’s historic sites. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in the world for Muslims. Jews refer to the location as the “Temple Mount,” claiming it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.
Since 2003, Israel has permitted nearly daily settlement entry. During the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Israel captured East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is situated. The 1980 annexation of the entire city was never acknowledged by the international community.
