Pakistan, Indonesia condemn Israeli police raid on Al-Aqsa mosque

By Aamir Latif and Riyaz ul Khaliq

KARACHI, Pakistan/ISTANBUL (AA) – Pakistan and Indonesia on Wednesday strongly condemned an Israeli police raid on Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, which resulted in injuries and large-scale arrests.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a statement blamed “impunity granted to Israel,” which has “emboldened Tel Aviv to violate basic human rights with abandon.”

“I strongly condemn the Israeli police attack on Palestinian worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. Brutal attack is violative of sanctity of (the) holy month of Ramadan," Sharif said in a tweet.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli police said they detained 350 Palestinians from the complex, with witnesses saying they used excessive force, including tear gas.

Strongly condemning the violence committed by Israeli security forces, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “This act has really hurt the feelings of Muslims around the world, was a real violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa, and will further escalate conflict and violence.”

Jakarta urged the UN and the international community to “immediately take concrete steps to stop and end the various violations committed by Israel against Al-Aqsa.”

Joining the growing chorus of criticism, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called on the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to raise the issue with the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the international community.

“Strongly condemn this attack on worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque once again during holy month of Ramazan. It’s OIC’s responsibility to inform UNSC and international community that such barbaric acts cause immense hurts to Muslims across the world,” Khan stated in a post he shared on Twitter emblazoned with a picture showing Israeli police personnel standing alert, presumably in the courtyard of the mosque.

In separate reactions to the incident, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the UK, and the EU have condemned the atrocities and demanded a “de-escalation” of the situation.

Israeli forces and Jewish settlers frequently carry out raids on the mosque.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents Islam’s third-holiest site, while Jews call the area Temple Mount.

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.