A group of Muslim countries has strongly condemned Israeli settler incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound amid escalating violations and rising tensions across the occupied territories.
The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement on Tuesday, condemning ‘in the strongest terms the continued raids on al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli settlers’.
According to the statement, the continued raids on al-Aqsa Mosque ‘by extremist Israeli settlers (come) under the protection of Israeli forces’.
The ministers also condemned the raising of Israeli flags inside the mosque compound.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, has repeatedly been stormed by extremist Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, with many performing provocative rituals inside the compound in defiance of its historical and legal status.
‘These provocative and unacceptable acts constitute a clear violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical and legal status of the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem,’ the statement said.
The ministers also denounced the Tel Aviv regime for pursuing systematic policies aimed at altering the historical, legal and demographic character of occupied al-Quds, while undermining the sanctity of Muslim and Christian holy places.
They called for an immediate halt to all provocative Israeli actions and reiterated that the entire al-Aqsa Mosque compound remains an Islamic place of worship.
The statement warned that repeated Israeli violations risk further escalating tensions, fuelling instability and undermining international efforts to achieve peace.
The condemnation came as a team of 14 United Nations experts, including Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, issued a ‘stark warning’ over a surge in Israeli settler violence across the occupied Palestinian territories.
The experts said at least 13 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 500 injured in settler attacks during the first five months of the year.
‘Relentless attacks by the settler-colonial movement, carried out with the support and acquiescence of Israel, have become a daily terror in Palestinian lives,’ the experts said.
They warned that the violence, carried out with ‘full impunity’, has become an instrument of coercion, facilitating the forced displacement of Palestinians and accelerating ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories.
The ministers and UN experts called for international action to protect Palestinian rights and preserve the status of the holy sites in occupied al-Quds.
The foreign ministers of the eight Muslim countries also reaffirmed their support for efforts aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a just and lasting peace based on international law, relevant UN resolutions and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with occupied al-Quds as its capital.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has condemned Israeli ministers over the incitement of violence and torture against activists abducted from the Gaza-bound Sumud 2 aid flotilla, according to a draft of conclusions prepared ahead of the June 18-19 EU summit.
Point 22 of the West Asia section states that the European Council ‘condemns the ill-treatment inflicted on detainees following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters’, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Tuesday.
The draft also calls on the EU Council ‘to continue its work on restrictive measures against extremist ministers who incite and promote such human rights violations’.
The document remains under discussion among the permanent representatives of the EU’s 27 member states and may still be revised before the summit.
The proposal follows Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla in international waters while it was en-route to Gaza.
Video released by Israeli authorities and widely circulated online showed Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir moving among abducted activists who were kneeling in tightly packed rows with their hands restrained by zip ties.
The footage prompted condemnation from human rights groups, international organisations, and several governments.
France and Italy have since called for a stronger response from the European bloc, including the possible imposition of sanctions.
EU leaders are expected to discuss the issue at the upcoming summit as member states seek to reach a common position on recent developments in Gaza and the wider West Asia region.
In a statement issued on May 8, 2026, the organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said testimonies collected from released activists indicated ‘a pattern of severe physical and sexual violence and systematic degradation’ by Israeli forces.
The statement also said the abducted activists were subjected to deliberate deprivation measures, including exposure to cold conditions, confiscation of warm clothing, and insufficient access to food, water, and bedding, resulting in reported cases of hypothermia and hyperthermia.
The Sumud Spring Flotilla departed from France, Spain, and Italy on April 12, 2026, with the stated aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the war-affected Palestinian territory.
A previous flotilla voyage was also intercepted by Israeli forces off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza.
Israel has maintained control over all entry points into Gaza since imposing its blockade on the territory in 2007.
Since launching its war on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 72,938 Palestinians and injured at least 172,919 others.
The genocidal campaign has also caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, sports facilities, power plants, water reservoirs, and residential areas.
According to figures released by the Palestinian Health Ministry, 935 Palestinians have been killed and 2,860 injured since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025.
Elsewhere, New Zealand announced on Tuesday that it has barred three extremist Israeli settlers from entering the country over their involvement in expanding illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the ban applies to Itamar Yehuda Levy, Harel David Libby, and Eliav Libby, citing their role in settlement expansion on occupied Palestinian land.
Peters said such activities threaten regional security and stability and undermine prospects for peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
He reiterated New Zealand’s position that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory violate international law.
The move comes amid growing international concern over escalating settler violence in the West Bank.
UN experts warned this week that settler attacks, backed by the Israeli government, have reached unprecedented levels in 2026, with at least 13 Palestinians killed and around 500 injured during the first five months of the year.
According to Palestinian official figures, violence in the West Bank since October 2023 has killed 1,168 Palestinians, injured 12,666 others, led to the arrest of nearly 23,000 people, and displaced around 33,000 Palestinians from their homes.
