Pakistan condemns desecration of Al‑Aqsa Mosque by Israeli minister, settlers

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday strongly condemned the desecration of Al‑Aqsa Mosque by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

The minister visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem and prayed there in violation of international rules that permit Jews to visit the site but not offer prayer at the compound.

The site, known to Muslims as Al-Aqsa Mosque and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is one of the most sensitive religious place in the Middle East.

PM Shehbaz condemned “storming” of the mosque by Israeli minister and a group of settlers under the protection of Israeli police.

"This sacrilege against one of Islam’s holiest sites is not only an affront to Muslims worldwide but also a direct assault on international law and the collective conscience of humanity," he said in a post on X.

"Such systematic provocations by the occupying power, coupled with reckless calls for annexation, imperils the prospects for peace."

Pakistan unequivocally condemns, the recent act of storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers, accompanied by settler groups and shielded by Israeli police.

This sacrilege against one of Islam’s holiest sites is not only an affront to Muslims worldwide but also a…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 4, 2025

The prime minister warned that Israel’s "shameless actions are deliberately inflaming tensions in Palestine and the wider region, pushing the Middle East closer to further instability and conflict."

He reiterated that Pakistan's urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all acts of aggression, and the revival of a credible peace process leading to an independent and viable State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

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In a separate statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the desecration, warning that such provocations could spark a “catastrophic spiral of violence” across the region.

It urged the international community to take immediate and tangible steps to hold Israel accountable and protect the sanctity of religious sites.