Hamas minister calls for protecting Aqsa mosque

Dr. Mohammed al-Madhoun, the Hamas Minister of Culture, called on the Palestinian national factions to set up plans to save the occupied al-Quds ('Jerusalem') and Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Israeli threats and violations.

Madhoun said in a statement on Tuesday on the anniversary of the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque that the mosque is still facing ongoing and escalating Israeli threats for the past 43 years.

The 43rd anniversary of the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque coincided with an escalation in Judaization of the Islamic and Palestinian holy shrines in the historic, sacred city, he noted.

He said that the weakness of the Arab and Islamic nation encouraged the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) to commit such crimes in the holiest sites of the nation.

The minister praised the Palestinians residing in the city for their steadfastness in protecting the Aqsa mosque in face of the Israeli violations and threats.

Madhoun called on UNESCO, ISESCO, and ILESCO to stop the Israeli violations, pointing out that the al-Quds is included on the UNESCO's World Heritage List and the Danger List since 1981 but nothing happened so far.

He also appealed to the governments in Arab and Muslim world, the national and international organizations, and all the free world to intervene to protect the mosque and the occupied al-Quds from the Israeli attempts to falsify their history.

He stressed that the al-Quds will remain a Palestinian, Arab and Islamic city and all those attempts will fail.