Pakistan condemns Israeli incursions at Al-Aqsa, as Ishaq Dar warns of wider regional conflict
According to Dar, the actions threaten the religious and historical status of Jerusalem and risk provoking wider tensions across the region.
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has condemned what it described as continued Israeli settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar warning that the actions could further inflame regional tensions.
Dar made the remarks recently precisely on August 5, 2026, while addressing a ministerial meeting on the deteriorating situation in occupied East Jerusalem in Amman, Jordan. The meeting brought together Arab and Muslim countries to discuss developments around Jerusalem and its holy sites.
The Pakistani foreign minister strongly denounced the continued entry of Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, saying the incursions were being carried out under the protection of Israeli security forces and encouraged by some Israeli ministers.
According to Dar, the actions threaten the religious and historical status of Jerusalem and risk provoking wider tensions across the region.
Pakistan’s position was also reflected in a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Islamic countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The ministers condemned what they described as an escalation at Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing continued mass incursions by Israeli settlers, including visits led by Israeli ministers, the raising of the Israeli flag within the compound and other actions they said could alter the established arrangements governing the holy site.
The eight countries said such actions violated international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and what they described as the historical and legal status quo at the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem.
They also rejected attempts to change the character or status of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites and reaffirmed the special role of Jordan’s Hashemite custodianship over the sites.
Dar said Pakistan recognised the Jerusalem Endowment and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department under Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs as the authority responsible for administering the affairs of the mosque.
He further stated that the entire 144-dunam Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound should remain exclusively a Muslim place of worship.
Pakistan also called for the protection of Palestinian rights and reiterated its support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Dar urged Arab and Muslim countries to maintain a united position on Jerusalem and called for an immediate cessation of what Pakistan described as violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Pakistani government has consistently maintained that the status of Jerusalem’s holy sites should not be altered and has called for international action to protect them.
The developments come amid continuing tensions over access, security arrangements and competing claims surrounding Jerusalem’s holy sites. Al-Aqsa Mosque, known in Islam as part of Al-Haram Al-Sharif, remains one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It is important to distinguish the wording of the headline circulating online from the verified statement: the available official and Pakistani reports confirm that Dar strongly condemned the continued incursions and called for protection of Al-Aqsa. The remarks were made at the August 5, 2026 ministerial meeting in Amman, rather than as a newly issued statement on September 22.
