A ministerial meeting on supporting Jerusalem and its holy sites, convened in Amman at the invitation of Jordan, concluded with a strong statement condemning Israeli policies and actions in occupied Jerusalem and announcing a coordinated diplomatic initiative to counter what participants described as "illegal" Israeli measures and rally international support to stop them.

The meeting brought together the foreign ministers of the Arab Ministerial Committee tasked with international action against Israel's policies in occupied Jerusalem. The committee includes Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the State of Palestine, Egypt and Morocco, alongside the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. Foreign ministers and representatives from Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye and Malaysia also participated in the discussions, which focused on the recent Israeli escalation in occupied Jerusalem and at Islamic and Christian holy sites.

In their final communiqué, participants condemned Israeli policies aimed at altering the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of occupied Jerusalem, as well as its legal and demographic character. They rejected all such measures as null and void, arguing that they have no legal effect and constitute violations of international law and Israel's obligations as the occupying power.

The ministers reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and that Israel has no sovereignty over it. They reiterated that East Jerusalem should serve as the capital of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 4 June 1967 borders, living in peace and security alongside Israel under the two-state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative and the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine.

The statement strongly condemned what it described as Israeli violations at Al Aqsa Mosque, also known as Al Haram Al Sharif, including attempts to alter the site's historic and legal status and impose temporal and spatial division. It cited the increasing incursions by Israeli settlers, ministers and extremist officials, restrictions on Muslim worshippers, assaults on worshippers, obstruction of the Jerusalem Waqf Administration's work and continued excavation activities beneath and around the compound.

Participants stressed that Al Aqsa Mosque, encompassing its entire 144 dunums, is an exclusively Muslim place of worship. They reaffirmed that the Jerusalem Waqf Administration, operating under Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, is the sole legal authority responsible for administering the site and regulating access.

The communiqué also condemned Israeli actions affecting Christian holy sites, warning that they threaten the historic Christian presence in Jerusalem. It cited restrictions on access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, interference in church affairs, pressure on Christian institutions and properties, and attacks targeting clergy, worshippers and religious symbols.

The ministers reaffirmed their support for the historic Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites, describing it as essential to preserving their identity and safeguarding the historic and legal status quo.

They also pledged continued support for the resilience of Palestinians in Jerusalem through development assistance, strengthening Palestinian institutions in the city and backing the work of the Jerusalem Committee and its executive arm, Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency.

Warning of broader regional consequences, the ministers said Israeli actions targeting Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem provoke the sentiments of nearly two billion Muslims worldwide and risk igniting a religious conflict that could threaten regional and international peace and security.

The meeting called on the international community and the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action to halt what it described as Israel's illegal measures in occupied Jerusalem and its holy sites. The statement argued that these actions form part of a broader strategy to entrench the occupation through settlement expansion, land annexation, economic restrictions on Palestinians, attacks on Palestinian institutions, escalating settler violence and measures against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), alongside continued violations of the Gaza ceasefire and the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Participants also rejected any unilateral decision affecting the legal status of occupied Jerusalem, including the opening or relocation of diplomatic missions to the city, describing such moves as contrary to international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. They urged states that have taken such decisions to reverse them.

The meeting announced the launch of a joint diplomatic campaign to mobilise stronger international action against Israeli policies in Jerusalem and to press Israel, as the occupying power, to respect the city's historic and legal status and that of its holy places.

Ministers further agreed to establish a permanent institutional mechanism that will include a media platform dedicated to documenting Israeli violations against holy sites and worshippers, presenting evidence to international organisations and informing global public opinion.

The communiqué also called for a joint ministerial meeting between the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States during the high level week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next September to coordinate efforts in response to developments in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

The meeting concluded by thanking Jordan for hosting and organising the ministerial gathering.