Jordan, Kuwait,Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have issued a joint condemnation following a raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The incursion, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and settlers, occurred just before Yom Kippur in East Jerusalem.
Ben-Gvir's Pre-Yom Kippur Raid on the 14.4-Hectare Compound
The recent entry into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, accompanied by illegal Jewish settlers and protected by police, has triggered a diplomatic crisis. According to the report, the four Gulf nations—Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia—view this act as a provocative breach of international humanitarian law. The tension centers on the 14.4-hectare site, which the coalition insists must remain an exclusively Islamic place of worship.
The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf , a body affiliated with Jordan, is the sole recognized manager of the site. The joint statement from the foreign ministries of the involved nations warns that the actions of Itamar Ben-Gvir could impose a "temporal and spatial division" of the compound, effectively ending the historic arrangements that have prevented open conflict at the site for decades.
The 1967 Borders and the Gulf Coalition's Unified Front
This diplomatic alignment is not merely about a single raid but is tied to a broader geopolitical demand for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. As the report says, the coordinated response from Amman, Kuwait City, Doha, and Riyadh signals a staunch defense of Islamic heritage and a rejection of tactics that threaten the regional balance of power.
This pattern of joint condemnation echoes long-standing international concerns that any alteration to the status of the Al-Aqsa compound risks escalating volatility. The move by the Gulf states to issue a unanimous statement suggests a strategic effort to isolate the Israeli government's current approach to the holy sites, framing the incursion as a violation of a legal and historic "status quo" rather than a domestic security matter.
Hamas's Alarm Over Netanyahu's Tunnel Excavations
Adding to the tension, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has denounced not only the surface incursions but also activities beneath the mosque. Hamas specifically condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for entering underground tunnels and excavation sites at Al-Aqsa, describing the move as an assault on the identity of the mosque.
Hamas argues that any attempt to use archaeological or biblical narratives to reframe the identity of the prayer halls, walls, and gates is futile. This internal conflict over the physical soil of East Jerusalem highlights a deeper struggle over the historical narrative of the land, where archaeological discovery is often weaponized as a tool for political legitimacy.
The Future of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf's Autonomy
A critical remaining question is how the Israeli government intends to balance the demands of far-right ministers like Itamar Ben-Gvir with the need to maintain the relative autonomy of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf. It remains unclear whether the Israeli security forces can or will prevent future incursions during religious holidays, or if Ben-Gvir's actions have established a new, permanent precedent for settler access.
Furthermore, the report notes that while the U.S.. State Department has urged Americans to reconsider travel to the Middle East due to escalation risks , it has simultaneously approved a $2.68-billion air-defense package for Ukraine. This juxtaposition suggests a global security environment where the U.S. is managing multiple high-stakes conflicts, leaving a vacuum in the Middle East that regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Qatar are now filling with more assertive diplomatic coordination.
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