Ben-Gvir storms Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa compound, performs prayer

Israel's extreme-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday, his spokesperson told AFP, prompting accusations of "provocation" from Hamas as it partakes in indirect negotiations with Israel on ending the war in Gaza in Egypt.

The raid is Ben-Gvir's eleventh as minister to the mosque, located in occupied east Jerusalem, which is Islam's third-holiest site.

It was also reportedly the site of Judaism's holiest temple in ancient times, and some Israeli extremists wish to demolish the mosque and rebuild a temple on its site.

Hamas condemned the visit, calling it a "deliberate provocation" that "violates the sanctity of Al-Aqsa and the feelings of Muslims worldwide."

The Palestinian group added that the visit coincided with the "painful anniversary" of a deadly Israeli attack in Jerusalem on 8 October 1990, in which at least 15 Palestinians were killed.

In a video statement from the esplanade, Ben-Gvir referred to the second anniversary of Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that sparked Israel's two-year war on Gaza.

"Every house in Gaza has a picture of the Temple Mount, and today, two years later, we are winning on the Temple Mount. We are the owners of the Temple Mount," Ben-Gvir taunted Palestinians in a video released by his far-right Jewish Power party.

"I only pray that our prime minister will allow a complete victory in Gaza as well - to destroy Hamas, with God's help to bring back the hostages," he added.

Ben-Gvir's visit was conducted as Israel and Hamas were engaging in the third day of indirect talks in Egypt to reach an end to the Israel's two-year war on Gaza.

The Israeli Public Security Minister has previously threatened to quit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition government unless Hamas is destroyed.

Videos circulating on social media showed Ben-Gvir walking on the esplanade accompanied by a group of religious Jews singing liturgical songs.

The Waqf, the Jordanian custodian of the site, said 1,300 "extremist Jews" went into the compound Wednesday morning.

Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the visit as "a flagrant violation" of the status quo at the compound, which forbids non-Muslim prayer on the site.

Ben-Gvir's visit also coincided with the second day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot during which Jews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in ancient times.

In recent years, the status quo understanding between Israel and Jordan has been repeatedly violated by Jewish visitors, including members of the Israeli parliament.

Ben-Gvir conducted a public prayer on the site in August, on the occasion of Tisha B'Av, a fasting day to commemorate the destruction of the two Jewish temples.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and annexed it in 1967, in a move not recognised by the vast majority of the international community.