Saudi Gazette report

SINCERE and tireless efforts of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bore fruit and the two-week standoff at Al-Aqsa Mosque was resolved without much ado, Awwad Al-Awwad, minister of culture and information, has said.

“The efforts of King Salman, with his sincere determination and caliber, have been successful over the past few days through his contacts with a number of world leaders to re-open the Al-Aqsa Mosque and remove the restrictions imposed on Muslims from entering the holy mosque,” the minister said in a press statement.

Awwad emphasized that this achievement of King Salman confirms the Kingdom’s steadfastness in safeguarding the right of Muslims on Al-Aqsa Mosque and performing worship there with ease and in tranquility. “The responsibility that God has entrusted on the leaders of this country since the time of the founder King Abdul Aziz and followed by his noble sons in the service of the Two Holy Mosques and the care of the issues of the Arab and Islamic nations is confirmed by the great efforts exerted by the King. Thankfully, these efforts have been crowned with success in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians and ending hostile Israeli actions against them.”

The minister noted that the world leaders responded to the King and appreciated his unequivocal stand on the right of the Palestinians to determine the fate of their state and to return to negotiations that guarantee them their right to live in safety. “The King has resolved this crisis without any uproar by stopping the infringement on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, believing it is of utmost importance to support the Palestinians and to enable them to perform their worship freely and safely,” he said. The minister highlighted the Kingdom’s relentless efforts in achieving a just and comprehensive peace for the Palestinian cause in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative, the vision of a two-state solution and the relevant international resolutions.