Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli violations at al-Aqsa, West Bank mosque
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Saudi Arabia denounces attacks on Al-Aqsa and a recently defaced West Bank mosque, warning that ongoing Israeli violations threaten peace efforts and regional stability.
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Palestinians attend Friday prayers at the mosque that was torched and defaced by Israeli settlers, earlier this week, in the West Bank village of Deir Istiya, Friday, November 14, 2025 (AP)
Saudi Arabia has strongly denounced the latest attacks by the Israeli occupation and its settlers against Palestinians, warning that continued violations at holy sites risk escalating tensions and undermining peace efforts.
In a statement on Saturday, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “the Kingdom’s strong condemnation and denunciation” of ongoing assaults, most recently the storming of the courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque and the harassment of worshippers inside, as well as the attack on the Hajjah Hamida Mosque in the Palestinian village of Qifl Haris.
Riyadh stressed that the persistence of such violations without accountability “contributes to the erosion of international and regional efforts aimed at achieving peace,” while fueling further instability and prolonging the cycle of conflict.
Israeli attacks on an uptick
The Kingdom also warned that global silence over these incidents, alongside the absence of mechanisms to hold the Israeli occupation accountable, “weakens the foundations of the international system and harms the principles of international legitimacy.”
Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and its commitment to efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with “al-Quds al-Sharqiya” as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international resolutions.
The condemnation followed an attack by Israeli settlers who set fire to the Hajjah Hamida Mosque between Deir Istiya and Qifl Haris, northwest of Salfit in the occupied West Bank, by pouring flammable materials at the entrance. Local residents intervened quickly, preventing the mosque from burning down completely.
Condemnations amid push for normalization?
Saudi Arabia is among the top contenders for normalization with the Israeli occupation, and it was one of the most prominent headlines ahead of Operation al-Aqsa Flood. However, the push for normalization was quelled by the genocide in Gaza, though it has been on an uptick as of the past few months as the aggression slowed down.
The scale of destruction in Gaza, and the outrage it generated across the Arab world, has significantly altered Riyadh’s approach. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has accused "Israel" of genocide, has now drawn a firm line, stating that normalization is off the table without credible movement toward a Palestinian state.
"A Palestinian state is a prerequisite for regional integration," said Manal Radwan, a senior Saudi Foreign Ministry official. "We have said it many times."
Arson hits West Bank
Israeli settlers set fire early Thursday to the Hajjeh Hamideh Mosque, located between the towns of Deir Istiya and Kifl Haris northwest of Salfit, after pouring flammable materials at its entrance. Residents intervened in time to prevent the mosque from burning down completely.
Nadhmi al-Salman, an activist against settlement expansion, told the WAFA news agency that the settlers also spray-painted racist slogans hostile to Arabs and Muslims on the mosque’s walls.
The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the attack, saying the arson “clearly reflects the barbarity of Israel’s racist incitement machine against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine,” describing the assault as a “flagrant offense against Muslims and their sentiments.”
The ministry said there is no longer any safe place of worship amid ongoing assaults by Israeli forces and settlers, describing the incident as “a new act of provocative racism” added to a series of crimes targeting holy sites.
