Pakistan has strongly condemned the “provocative and deeply offensive desecration” of Al‑Aqsa Mosque by thousands of Israeli settlers, who were “shielded by brutal Israeli occupying forces.”

“The presence and statements of senior Israeli officials, and the repugnant declaration that ‘the Temple Mount is ours’, are a dangerous and deliberate attempt to provoke religious sentiments across the world, escalate tensions, and alter the status of Al‑Aqsa Mosque,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

It added: “Israel’s expansionist attempts are a deliberate effort to destabilise the region and sabotage any meaningful path to peace.

“These provocations risk igniting a catastrophic spiral of violence across the region.”