The Maldives government has strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by officials of the Israeli government.
On Tuesday, two ministers stormed the complex with over 2,000 radical Israelis, praying, waving flags, and singing the national anthem even though Jewish religious rights are banned at the holy sites.
"This is a serious violation of the sanctity of one of the holiest sites of the Muslim Ummah," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement more than 24 hours after the incident.
"The Maldives is deeply concerned about these repeated incursions by Israel into the Al Aqsa Mosque that threaten the hopes for achieving peace and stability in the region."
Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest site in Islam. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, believing it to be the location of two ancient Jewish temples.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980, Israel annexed the entire city, a move that has never been recognized by the international community.
