The government of Maldives has strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the officials including two ministers of the Israeli government and members of the Knesset.
A statement made public by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives read that this a serious violation of the sanctity of on the holiest sites of Muslim Ummah. It read that the Maldives is deeply concerned about these repeated incursions by Israel into the Aqsa Mosque that threaten the hopes for achieving peace and stability in the region.
Furthermore, the Maldivian government stated that it and the people of Maldives stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. The Maldivian government also reiterated its call on the international community to work together to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led more than 2,000 Israelis through the compound singing Jewish hymns under the protection of Israeli police and performed prayers. Minister of Negev and Galilee Affairs Yitzhak Wasserlauf and other members of the Israeli Knesset reportedly joined the march.
This act by the Israeli minister was met with criticism by the United States. As such, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that these provocative actions only exacerbate tensions at a pivotal moment when all focus should be on the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of all hostages and create the conditions for broader regional stability.
Furthermore, the United Nations called the move by the Israeli minister “unduly provocative” and stated that Al-Aqsa Mosque, like the other holy sites in Jerusalem, should be left to themselves and should be controlled by the existing religious authorities for the sites.