Qatar condemned Israeli settlers storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as a flagrant violation of international law and urged action to stop repeated breaches.

Qatar has strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli settlers, describing the incident as a “flagrant violation of international law” after Israeli flags were raised within its courtyards.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the act was a serious provocation to Muslims worldwide and undermines the long-established religious and historical status of the site in occupied East Jerusalem.

Doha reaffirmed its “categorical rejection” of any attempts to alter the identity or status of the mosque, urging the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities towards Jerusalem and its holy sites, and to take firm action against repeated Israeli violations. 

The ministry reiterated Qatar’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause, stressing the Palestinians’ “full right to practise their religious rites without restrictions” and to establish an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The condemnation follows reports that Israeli settlers entered the compound through the Mughrabi Gate under heavy police protection, where they raised Israeli flags and carried out religious rituals, according to Anadolu.

Footage circulating online showed groups performing prayers, including what was described as “epic prostration,” particularly in the eastern areas of the site. 

The Islamic Waqf authorities in Jerusalem consider such actions a breach of the long-standing status quo governing the compound.

The developments come amid heightened tensions across the occupied West Bank and coincide with Israel’s Independence Day, during which similar acts were reported. 

The timing also overlaps with Palestinian commemoration of the Nakba, further intensifying sensitivities around the issue.