Jerusalem holy sites and regional tensions highlighted on Al-Aqsa arson anniversary

On the 57th anniversary of the 1969 arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, officials in Jordan and Yemen have issued statements regarding the status of holy sites in Jerusalem and regional political tensions.

Abdullah Kanaan, Secretary-General of the Royal Commission for Jerusalem Affairs, highlighted the historical impact of the 1969 fire, which destroyed the 12th-century pulpit of Saladin Al-Ayyubi. He warned that ongoing excavations, incursions, and attempts to alter the religious and historical identity of Jerusalem pose a significant danger. Kanaan called for international support for Jordan’s Hashemite custodianship of the holy sites and urged the international community to uphold international law and the two-state solution.

In Sana’a, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also marked the anniversary, noting that the Al-Aqsa Mosque continues to face excavations and closures. The ministry further condemned recent United States sanctions against Hezbollah, characterizing the move as American complicity in Israeli actions and a response to military failures in the region. The statement argued that such sanctions violate international laws and urged Lebanese authorities to consider the historical implications of their regional alignments.