Hawzah News Agency-Egypt's Grand Imam, Shawky Allam, one of the world’s highest Sunni Muslim authorities, hailed Friday, October 14, a UNESCO resolution that uses only the Islamic names for parts of the Old City of Jerusalem, such as "Al-Aqsa Compound" or "Al-Ḥaram Al-Sharif," and denounces Israel for restricting Muslim access to the holy site and for aggression by Israeli occupation forces and extreme settler groups.

In his statement, Allam urged swift action to capitalize on UNESCO's resolution that affirms Muslims' right to Jerusalem, to establish the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.

UNESCO's draft resolution, entitled "Occupied Palestine," strongly condemns "escalating Israeli aggressions and illegal measures against the freedom of worship and Muslims’ access to their Holy Site Al-Aqṣa Mosque/Al-Ḥaram Al-Sharif, and requests Israel, the Occupying Power, to respect the historic status quo and to immediately stop these measures."

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