JERUSALEM — Pakistan and seven other Arab and Islamic countries have strongly criticized Israel’s continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and restrictions on access to Jerusalem’s Old City, urging the immediate reopening of the site for Muslim worshippers.

In a joint statement, the countries condemned the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel, which has remained shut for nearly 12 days, and called the measure illegal and unjustified. The ministers also rejected what they described as ongoing actions affecting worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, also known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif.

The statement stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. It reaffirmed that the entire Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is reserved exclusively for Muslim worship.

Officials also emphasized that administrative authority over the site rests with the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, which operates under Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.

The ministers called on Israel, as the occupying power, to reopen the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque immediately, lift restrictions on movement in Jerusalem’s Old City, and allow Muslim worshippers to access the holy site without obstruction. They also urged the international community to intervene and ensure protection of religious freedoms and holy sites in Jerusalem.

Israeli authorities have imposed tight security restrictions in the Old City and around the mosque compound, citing security concerns linked to the ongoing regional conflict involving Iran.

Palestinian officials have criticized the closure. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the continued restrictions represent a violation of Palestinian rights, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

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The Palestinian group Hamas has also condemned the move, warning that prolonged restrictions on worship at the mosque could set what it described as a dangerous precedent affecting freedom of worship at the site.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is one of Islam’s holiest sites and has frequently been a focal point of tensions in Jerusalem.