ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyard by illegal Israeli settlers.
“These reprehensible acts constitute a blatant violation of international law, as well as of the sanctity and inviolability of the holy site,” a Foreign Office statement said on Tuesday.
It warned that such provocative steps also risk further escalating tensions in the region.
In the statement, Pakistan called for all necessary measures to safeguard holy sites under Israeli occupation and to put an end to the impunity enjoyed by illegal settlers operating under its patronage.
🔊PR No.1️⃣0️⃣4️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Pakistan Condemns Violation of Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/f0JxJyV6Q9
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) April 21, 2026
Pakistan reaffirmed its solidarity with the Palestinian people, underscoring its unwavering support for their right to worship, and reiterated its backing for the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Earlier, Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, raising the Israeli flag during the incursion amid heightened tensions across the West Bank.
Footage shared on social media showed some settlers performing Talmudic rituals and prayers aloud, including what is described as “epic prostration,” particularly in the eastern section of the compound.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem regards such practices as a violation of the longstanding status quo governing the site, while Israeli police have not intervened to prevent them.
Since 2003, Israeli authorities have permitted daily entry to the compound during two periods—morning and afternoon—except on Fridays and Saturdays.
