Head of Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh hailed Sunday Egypt's Al-Azhar for its stances and statements in support of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

Speaking to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb on the phone, Haniyeh addressed the latest field developments concerning the Al-Aqsa Mosque after last Friday's raid by Israeli occupation forces and Israeli colonial settlers into the Muslim sacred compound.

"We won't backtrack on defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque," Haniyeh said. 

For his part, al-Tayeb reaffirmed the necessity for the Israeli occupation to end its practices and measures aimed at changing the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, adding that Al-Azhar scholars are following up the situation in the Muslim holy site.