OIC extraordinary meeting on Al-Aqsa situation
ISTANBUL (AA) – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is holding an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday to discuss Israeli violations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.
In a statement, the Jeddah-based organization said the meeting comes “after the continuous Israeli escalation in the occupied city of Al-Quds [Jerusalem] and the continuous violations against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The pan-Muslim grouping said the meeting will discuss the situation after a visit by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to “Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.”
Ben-Gvir’s visit, the statement said, came amid Israeli attempts “to change the legal and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The far-right Israeli minister visited the flashpoint site last week under Israeli police protection, triggering a storm of condemnations from countries across the world, including Jordan, Turkiye, the US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Palestinians accuse Israel of systematically working to Judaize East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, and to obliterate its Arab and Islamic identity.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa is the world’s third-holiest site. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.
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