Malaysia strongly condemns incursion and attack in Al-Aqsa Mosque

Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) in a statement on Tuesday said the premeditated incursion on the Holy Site of the Muslims and the rallies of the flag march in the Old City was clearly a provocation and a flagrant violation against the revered Holy Site and its sanctities.

"This latest raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque was undoubtedly an act of aggression by the Israeli occupation regime and Israeli extremists, unduly fanning the flames of tensions among the region and beyond," the statement read.

Malaysia calls upon the international community to immediately demand the Israel regime to cease any provocative acts in the interest of peace and stability, said Wisma Putra.

"Malaysia stands strong in solidarity with the people of Palestine, and reiterates the status of Al Quds Al-Sharif as the Holy site of the Muslim Ummah," it said.

Malaysia also reaffirms its unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinians and their cause to achieve freedom from the Israeli illegal occupation and realise their aspirations for an independent State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as their Capital.

According to media reports, thousands of Israeli settlers staged a flag march on Sunday to mark what they call the day of unifying Jerusalem, about Israel's occupation of the city in 1967.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognised by the international community.

Clashes surrounding last year's flag march led to an 11-day Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip during which more than 260 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured. Thirteen Israelis were also killed in Palestinian fire from Gaza during the conflict.

The worst in years, the violence came to a halt under an Egyptian-brokered truce.