Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security and chief of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) celebration, arrives to consult with Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda marketplace.
- Israel Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
- Hamas condemned the transfer.
- Al-Aqsa Mosque is the 3rd holiest web site in Islam.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday, a arguable transfer by way of the extreme-right baby-kisser amid heightened tensions in annexed east Jerusalem.
The transfer got here 3 days after Ben-Gvir and tens of 1000’s of Jewish nationalists marched during the Old City and simply over per week into a delicate Gaza ceasefire.
“Jerusalem is our soul,” Ben-Gvir wrote on Telegram, along a photograph of himself on the web site within the center of the Old City.
“The threats of Hamas will not deter us, I went up to the Temple Mount!” he wrote, the usage of the Jewish identify for the web site.
Hamas, the militant staff that regulations Gaza, denounced Ben-Gvir’s ultimate consult with to the web site in January and once more slammed his motion on Sunday.
Israel will “bear responsibility for the barbaric incursions of its ministers and herds of settlers”, the crowd wrote on Telegram.
The transfer “confirms the depths of danger looming over Al-Aqsa, under this Zionist fascist government and the arrogance of its ministers from the extreme right”, mentioned Hamas.
Israeli police showed Ben-Gvir’s consult with in a observation, including that it handed with out incident.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the 3rd holiest web site in Islam and is run by way of Jordan.
Non-Muslims are accepted to consult with the web site, however no longer pray there.
The compound may be probably the most sacred web site for Jews, who pray beneath it on the Western Wall.
Jordan decried Ben-Gvir’s movements as a “provocative step” and a “dangerous and unacceptable escalation”.
Members of Israeli safety forces guard the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound following clashes that erupted right through Islam’s holy fasting month of Ramadan in Jerusalem on 5 April 2023. Israeli police arrested greater than 350 folks early 5 April, after clashes at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque a police spokesperson mentioned.
It “represents a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law, and of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites”, mentioned international ministry spokesperson Sinan Majali.
Tours of the web site by way of Jewish nationalists have lengthy been criticized by way of Palestinians and Arab international locations, whilst Ben-Gvir’s visits have taken on added weight since he took place of job in December.
The timing of Sunday’s consult with additionally holds importance, coming days after nationalists marched during the Old City to have a good time east Jerusalem’s seize by way of Israeli forces within the 1967 Six-Day War.
Palestinians have been pressured to near their companies and have been got rid of from the march path to make manner for the Israeli members.
Thursday’s match used to be marred by way of incidents of violence towards Palestinians and reporters, whilst the United States condemned “the hateful chants such as ‘Death to Arabs'” right through the rally.
Later on Sunday, Israel’s best politicians are set to carry a unprecedented cupboard assembly within the Old City.
It comes days right into a 13 May truce reached between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza, finishing 5 days of cross-border preventing.
The violence killed 33 folks in Gaza and two in Israel, a civilian and a Gazan employee.
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