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Israeli far-right minister Ben-Gvir storms Al-Aqsa Mosque amid Palestinian, Jordanian condemnation
Israel’s extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem, sparking fears of further escalation
On the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the pro-settler far-right politician, notorious for inciting violence against Palestinians, declared his visit a ‘prayer for the safety of soldiers’ and ‘victory in the war’ in Gaza.
He also posted a picture of himself on the social media platform X with the mosque in the background.
Palestinians saw the move as a desecration of one of Islam's holiest sites. Ben-Gvir’s actions immediately triggered a sharp condemnation from Hamas, which called the move as a ‘serious violation’ of the Al-Aqsa Mosque's sanctity.
In a statement, the Palestinian group said that the visit, coupled with Israel’s escalating provocations in East Jerusalem, could lead to more confrontation and violence.
"The terrorist minister Ben-Gvir's storming of the Al-Aqsa courtyards is a serious violation that reflects the escalation of the extremist occupation government against Al-Aqsa," the statement said.
The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry also said in a statement that it "condemns" Ben Gvir's latest visit, calling his prayer at the site a "provocation to millions of Palestinians and Muslims".
Jordan, which administers the mosque compound, similarly condemned what its foreign ministry called Ben Gvir's "provocative and unacceptable" actions.
The ministry's statement decried a "violation of the historical and legal status quo".
In anticipation of the provocative visit, Israeli forces were heavily deployed around Al-Aqsa, with special police units securing the area as Ben-Gvir and his entourage entered the mosque’s courtyards.
According to Palestinian sources, there were widespread restrictions on local worshippers and the mosque's guards were interrogated.
The Israeli minister, who leads the extremist Jewish Power party, has long said that Jewish worship should be allowed in Al-Aqsa, in violation of a longstanding status-quo agreement.
Under the agreement, prayer at Al-Aqsa is reserved for Muslims while people of other faiths can enter as visitors.
Many Israeli extremists seek to either divide Al-Aqsa between Jews and Muslims in terms of time and space available, or to replace the mosque with a new temple.
Al-Aqsa is in the Old City, part of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in 1967 and has been occupied ever since in violation of international law. It was illegally annexed in 1980.
Israeli authorities and settlers seek to strip or dilute East Jerusalem's Palestinian Muslim and Christian character and turn it into a Jewish-Israeli area.
Palestinians view the city's eastern sector as the capital of their future independent state.
Almost the entire international community rejects Israel's annexation and sovereignty claims over Jerusalem.
Across East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied West Bank, there are more than 700,000 Israeli illegal settlers.
Settlements breach international law and are considered a key barrier to a workable two-state solution, carving up Palestinian land.
Agencies contributed to this report.