Temple Mount
Temple MountiStock

Egypt on Sunday condemned what it called the "renewed violations by Israeli extremists" against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In a statement quoted by the Xinhua news agency, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry affirmed Egypt's complete rejection of these violations, while repeating a warning against harming the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"The mosque is a place of worship for Muslims and the Israeli authorities are responsible for providing protection for worshipers in order to maintain security and stability," said the statement.

The ministry demanded Israel refrain from taking any actions that will lead to escalation, while highlighting the need to revive the Israeli-Palestinian Arab peace process based on the related international resolutions within the framework of the two-state solution.

The condemnation came after more than 1,600 Jewish visitors ascended the Temple Mount for prayers marking the Tisha B’Av fast day.

The Ra’am party, a coalition partner which represents the Southern Islamic Movement in Israel, condemned the Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount, warning Jewish worshippers on the holy site could cause Arab riots and ultimately spark a “religious war”.

“We warn settlers and Knesset Members against trying to break into the Al Aqsa Mosque, and warn of [possible] serious disruptions of order which could lead to a regional religious war,” Ra’am said in a statement.

It also claimed the Temple Mount, which it referred to as a “mosque courtyard”, is under “full Islamic ownership”.