Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday morning with a group of settlers, under the protection of Israeli police.
The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported that “during the incursion, settlers performed Talmudic prayers in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, in a new provocative step aimed at imposing a new religious reality at the site and entrenching temporal and spatial division.”
The Jerusalem Governorate said the move comes amid escalating violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, and continued restrictions on worshippers’ access.
In a video filmed at the site and published by his office, Ben Gvir said: “Today, I feel that I am the owner of this place,” according to Reuters.
He added: “There is still more to be done, and more that needs to be improved. I continue to press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more. We must continue to move forward step by step.”
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the visit in a statement, describing it as “a flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo at the Noble Sanctuary, a desecration of its sanctity, an escalation that is condemned, and an unacceptable provocation.”
A spokesperson for Ben Gvir said the minister is seeking to secure more entry permits for Jewish visitors and to allow prayers at the site.
The spokesperson added that Ben Gvir prayed at the site. Netanyahu’s office has not yet commented. Previous visits and statements by Ben Gvir had prompted Netanyahu to issue statements affirming that there is no change in Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo.
