Category: Middle East

ABUJA, NIGERIA (NPA) — March 11, 2026 — The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have jointly condemned the closure of the gates of Al‑Aqsa Mosque/Al‑Haram Al‑Sharif in Jerusalem.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the ministers said that “security restrictions on access to the Old City of Jerusalem and its places of worship, coupled with discriminatory and arbitrary access restrictions to other places of worship in the Old City, constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the historical and legal status quo, and the principle of unrestricted access to places of worship.”

The ministers declared their “absolute rejection and condemnation of this illegal and unjustified measure, as well as Israel’s continued provocative actions at Al‑Aqsa Mosque/Al‑Haram Al‑Sharif and against worshippers.” They stressed that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

They reiterated that the entire Al‑Aqsa Mosque compound, covering 144 dunams, is a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, and affirmed that the Jerusalem Endowments and Al‑Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, is the sole legal authority with jurisdiction to administer the mosque and regulate entry.

The ministers called on Israel to immediately reopen the gates and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers’ access. They also urged the international community to adopt a firm position compelling Israel to halt ongoing violations and illegal practices against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

It remains unclear how Israel, already engaged in heavy fighting with Hezbollah in the north and with troops stationed along the Gaza frontier beyond the Yellow Line, will respond. Overall, Israel is at war and on its highest level of alert, making it difficult to suggest that it could reopen the mosque gates at a time when it is battling on multiple fronts.

INTERNATIONAL (NPA) — March 10, 2026 — Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited northern Israel on Tuesday to comfort residents following recent Hezbollah attacks.

During the visit, Herzog met with the family of Staff Sergeant Maher Khatib, an engineering fighter who was killed in Lebanon a few days earlier. He offered condolences to Khatib’s widow, two daughters, and the Druze community, praising their resilience and contribution to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Herzog began his tour at the Golan Regional Council’s emergency operations centre in Katzrin, where he observed preparedness measures alongside Council Head Yehuda Doha and his team. “I saw up close how they operate during an emergency—with professionalism, dedication, and great responsibility for the residents’ security,” he said.

He later travelled to Majdal Shams to console Khatib’s family, describing them as “a noble family, grieving and in pain, that serves as a testament to the spirit of heroism and devotion—of the Druze community and of all IDF fighters.”

The president concluded his visit at an Iron Dome battery, where he praised commanders and air defence soldiers for their round‑the‑clock work intercepting rockets and protecting millions of Israelis.

The escalation follows Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel in response to ongoing Israeli and U.S. operations in Iran. Israel’s deployment of soldiers into Lebanon has displaced many civilians, with two Israeli soldiers killed in the fighting, including Staff Sergeant Khatib.