Closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan

That this House condemns the closure of Al-Aqsa Sanctuary in Jerusalem by Israeli authorities during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan; notes that this action infringes Palestinians’ right to freedom of worship, violates Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law and UN resolutions, and breaches the longstanding status quo governing the site; and calls on the Government to raise this issue urgently with Israel and in international forums, to press for the site’s immediate reopening, failing which the Government brings forward appropriate measures, including an immediate suspension of all UK arms exports to Israel, the imposition of widespread and targeted sanctions against those responsible for serious violations of international law, and a complete prohibition on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in order to uphold international law, protect Palestinian rights, and safeguard the sanctity of Jerusalem’s holy sites.