Foreign Ministry: Storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a crime that requires accountability

Libya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Unity has condemned and denounced the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, reaffirming its categorical rejection of what it described as brazen actions that violate the sanctity and sacredness of the holy site.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said these actions constitute a flagrant violation of Islamic holy sites and an infringement of the legal and moral status of Al-Aqsa Mosque, considering such provocative acts to be an international crime that requires the urgent accountability of those responsible.

The ministry called on the international community to fulfill its legal and humanitarian responsibilities and take immediate and effective steps to stop what it described as the repeated violations against Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation also reaffirmed Libya’s steadfast support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the protection of their religious holy sites, stressing its support for the Palestinians’ right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Libyan statement comes amid growing Arab and Islamic condemnation of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, alongside warnings of the repercussions these actions could have on the status quo in Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa Mosque has, from time to time, been stormed by Israeli officials and settlers, prompting Arab, Islamic, and international condemnation amid the sensitivity of the status quo in the holy city, which remains one of the central issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.