ABU DHABI, July 20, 2025 (WAFA) - The United Arab Emirates has expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli plan to transfer authority and administration of the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs and the Hebron Municipality to the Jewish Religious Council in the Kiryat Arba settlement, which constitutes a grave violation of the historical and legal status quo at the Ibrahimi Mosque.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed the importance of respecting the status quo at the holy sites and called for an immediate halt to all unilateral and provocative actions that risk destabilizing the occupied Palestinian territories and undermining international efforts toward de-escalation.
The UAE called on the international community to uphold its responsibilities in safeguarding the holy sites and preserving their religious and historical status.
The Ministry emphasized the importance of supporting all regional and international initiatives aimed at advancing the peace process in the Middle East and ending illegal practices that undermine the two-state solution.
The United Arab Emirates has also condemned and denounced in the strongest terms the targeting of the Holy Family Church in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries. The UAE denounced the attack as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, and warned against the ongoing Israeli aggression and military escalation which threaten to further exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed the UAE’s firm rejection of the targeting of civilians, holy sites, and civilian institutions. The Ministry stressed the urgent need to respect the sanctity of these sites and ensure their protection during times of conflict.
Furthermore, the Ministry called on the international community to intensify all regional and international efforts to find a serious political horizon that achieves comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and fulfills the aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people to establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian state, in accordance with relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.
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