In provocative move, Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir storms Al-Aqsa Mosque
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Under the arrangement upheld by "Israel", Jews and other non-Muslims are prohibited from praying inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound or displaying religious symbols.
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A picture shows Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, in occupied al-Quds, on December 26, 2024. (Social media platform X)
Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday, the first day of the Jewish Hanukkah holiday, prompting strong condemnations from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Jordan, who accused the minister of intentionally provoking tensions.
"I went up to the site of our temple this morning to pray for the peace of our soldiers, the swift return of all hostages and a total victory, God willing," Ben-Gvir wrote on X, referring to the war on the Gaza Strip and the dozens of Israeli captives held in the Palestinian territory.
He also posted a photo of himself inside the holy site under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.
The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry condemned Ben-Gvir's latest storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, deeming his prayer at the site a "provocation to millions of Palestinians and Muslims."
Jordan, which administers the Mosque's compound, similarly condemned the Israeli minister's "provocative and unacceptable" actions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office later stated that "the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed," referring to the compound's Jewish name.
Under the arrangement upheld by "Israel", which has occupied East al-Quds and its Old City since 1967, Jews and other non-Muslims are permitted to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque compound during designated hours. However, they are prohibited from praying there or displaying religious symbols.
Additionally, groups of settlers, led by Ben-Gvir, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and conducted Talmudic prayers around the Buraq Wall, all while a heavy deployment of occupation forces surrounded the Old City.
#شاهد | مجموعات المستوطنين تؤدي صلوات تلمودية في محيط حائط البراق بالتزامن مع اقتحامات واسعة للأقصى في أول أيام "عيد الأنوار" العبري. pic.twitter.com/9bSaj0L1XQ
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) December 26, 2024
The occupation deployed a special unit in the courtyards of al-Aqsa to secure the storming and prevent worshipers from entering as Ben-Gvir ascended. It also tightened security measures around the Old City of occupied al-Quds and at the gates of al-Aqsa Mosque, obstructing Palestinians from accessing the courtyards of the holy site.
Additionally, Israeli occupation forces set up two military checkpoints in the towns of Silwan and Issawiya in occupied al-Quds, conducting searches of Palestinian cars. It is worth noting that Temple groups have called for large-scale raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Ben-Gvir's actions come amid a crisis within the ruling coalition, with the Haredi parties opposing ascension to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
This is not the first time Ben-Gvir has stormed the area. Earlier in October, thousands of settlers, led by the minister, stormed al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy protection from Israeli occupation forces.
At the time, the Islamic Endowments of al-Quds reported that more than 1,066 settlers stormed the al-Aqsa compound in the morning, coinciding with a Jewish holiday.
During the incursion, Israeli forces obstructed the entry of Palestinian worshippers into the compound, deploying a heavy presence at its gates to facilitate the settlers' activities.
