Jordan warns of religious conflict over al-Aqsa mosque threats

Jordan has warned that an imminent Israeli takeover of the al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock compound in Jerusalem could trigger a widespread religious conflict, prompting an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers on Wednesday. The warning follows repeated incursions by Jewish religious extremists into the site, with hardline Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich openly calling for Israeli state control and a synagogue on the grounds. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi cited revoked permits for Muslim staff, arrests of imams, and escalating incursions as severe threats to the decades-old status quo, under which Jordan has held custodianship for over a century, affirmed in a 1994 peace treaty. Safadi also raised concerns about a potential mass deportation of Palestinians from the West Bank, calling any Israeli displacement into Jordan a 'red line' and a tremendous escalation.