The invasion of hundreds of radical Israelis into the Al-Aqsa mosque complex in occupied East Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is “unacceptable”, the State Department said.
”Let me just make it clear that the United States (U.S.) is firmly committed to preserving the historical status quo regarding the holy sites in Jerusalem. Any unilateral action like this that threatens the status quo is unacceptable,” said State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel.
His remarks came after illegal Israeli settlers, as well as far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, his fellow Otzma Minister Yehudit Yitzhak Wasserlauf and member of the Knesset for Likud Amit Halevi stormed the compound yesterday to mark Tisha B’Av, an annual Jewish day of fasting that commemorates the occurrence of several disasters in Jewish history.
“And it’s not only unacceptable, it undermines what we think is vital as we work to get this Gaza cease-fire agreement over the mark,” Patel said.
He emphasized that such actions diminish what is the declared goal for the region, which is a solution with two states, the Palestinian state and the Israeli state, which are side by side, living in dignity and harmony.