Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led an incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, accompanied by settlers and police. The act, which included performing religious rituals, has drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinian leadership, regional Arab states, and the international community.
The storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by a high-ranking Israeli official, accompanied by settlers, violates the historic status quo governing the site and risks escalating tensions in the already volatile region, drawing condemnation from regional powers and international bodies.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, accompanied by settlers and police. Video footage circulated on social media appearing to show Ben Gvir performing Jewish prayers and calling for the construction of a Jewish temple at the site, which is considered one of Islam's holiest sites.
Ben Gvir stated he was seeking greater access for Jewish worshippers and indicated a desire for further improvements at the site. He has previously led similar incursions, with reports indicating at least 16 such visits since he took office in 2022.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the incursion, describing it as an attempt to normalize illegal settler incursions and impose a temporal and spatial division of the mosque. The ministry warned of escalating violations against holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem and rejected Israeli measures aimed at altering the legal and historical status of the city.
Jordan's foreign ministry also condemned the act, labeling it a "desecration of its sanctity, a condemnable escalation and an unacceptable provocation" and a violation of the historical and legal status quo. Critics suggest the timing of the raid, occurring two months before an Israeli parliamentary election, is a calculated move to mobilize far-right voters.
Since 2003, Israeli police have facilitated daily settler incursions into the complex without the approval of the Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian-appointed authority responsible for managing the site. Palestinian leaders have warned that these frequent incursions represent a deliberate effort to alter the historic status quo and strip occupied East Jerusalem of its Palestinian and Islamic identity.