PUTRAJAYA, Aug 15 — The government of Malaysia strongly condemns the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Zionist Israeli extremists on August 13.

The Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Wednesday, said that this blatant act, carried out under the protection of Israeli security forces, constitutes a severe violation of one of Islam’s holiest sites.

"Malaysia is outraged by this deliberate provocation, which denies Palestinian worshippers their right to access the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is also a provocation against Muslims worldwide,” it said.

This latest action, sanctioned by the Zionist Israeli regime, marks the sixth violation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound since late 2022.

These repeated breaches reflect a persistent disregard for the sanctity of these religious sites and appear to be part of a calculated attempt to undermine the legal status of Jerusalem and Al-Haram Al-Sharif, further inflaming regional tensions.

It said such provocations ignore the risk of escalating tensions in an already volatile situation and demonstrate Israel's continued belligerence despite international calls for peace and restraint.

"These acts reveal a complete lack of respect for the peace process, which is supported by a majority of civilised nations.

"Malaysia firmly opposes any attempts by the Zionist Israeli regime to alter the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its revered holy sites,” the statement read.

The ministry also urged the international community to hold the Zionist Israeli regime fully accountable for its ongoing and systematic attempts to alter the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"Swift and decisive action is crucial to preventing further deterioration of the situation in the West Bank and Gaza. Failure to respond will only embolden Israel and exacerbate the crisis,” it said.

It also reiterated call for the international community to continue pressuring Israel to immediately stop its ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Palestinians.

"Malaysia stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and will continue our unwavering support for peace.

"We firmly uphold the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif as a sacred site for the Muslim Ummah and reaffirm our position that the Palestinian people are entitled to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” it added. — Bernama