Tensions have flared once again in Jerusalem after Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the highly sensitive al-Aqsa Mosque compound and was seen praying there, a move widely seen as a violation of long-standing agreements.
The visit, captured in photos and videos, showed Ben-Gvir leading Jewish prayers at the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, in occupied East Jerusalem.
The act defies a decades-old status quo agreement that permits Jewish visits to the site but prohibits prayer, to avoid escalating religious tensions.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office has responded, saying there has been no change in policy and that the status quo remains in place. But the backlash has been swift.
Jordan, custodian of the site, called the move “an unacceptable provocation”.
Hamas condemned the visit as a deepening aggression against Palestinians, while a spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the act had “crossed all red lines.”
