WEST BANK 21 May (Online): Israelâs National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Sunday, a controversial move by the extreme-right politician amid heightened tensions in annexed east Jerusalem.
The move came three days after Ben-Gvir and tens of thousands of Jewish nationalists marched through the Old City and just over a week into a fragile Gaza ceasefoceasefire.
âJerusalem is our soul,â Ben-Gvir wrote on Telegram, alongside a photo of himself at the site in the heart of the Old City.
âThe threats of Hamas will not deter us, I went up to the Temple Mount!â he wrote, using the Jewish name for the site.
âIâm happy to ascend the Temple Mount, the most important place for the people of Israel,â he said during his visit to the compound.
âAll the threats from Hamas will not help, we are in charge here in Jerusalem and all of the Land of Israel,â he added.
Hamas, the group that rules Gaza, denounced Ben-Gvirâs last visit to the site I January and again slammed his action on Sunday.
Israel will âbear responsibility for the barbaric incursions of its ministers and herds of settlersâ, the group wrote on Telegram.
The move âconfirms the depths of danger looming over Al-Aqsa, under this Zionist fascist government and the arrogance of its ministers from the extreme rightâ, said Hamas.
Israeli police confirmed Ben-Gvirâs visit in a statement, adding that it passed without incident.
Al-Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site in Islam and is administered by Jordan. Non-Muslims are permitted to visit the site, but not pray there.
The compound is also the most sacred site for Jews, who pray below it at the Western Wall.
Jordan decried Ben-Gvirâs actions as a âprovocative stepâ and a âdangerous and unacceptable escalationâ.
It ârepresents a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law, and of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sitesâ, said foreign ministry spokesman Sinan Majali.
Tours of the site by Jewish nationalists have long been criticised by Palestinians and Arab nations, while Ben-Gvirâs visits have taken on added weight since he took office in December.
The timing of Sundayâs visit also holds significance, coming days after nationalists marched through the Old City to celebrate east Jerusalemâs capture by Israeli forces in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Palestinians were forced to close their businesses and were removed from the march route to make way for the Israeli participants.
Thursdayâs event was marred by incidents of violence against Palestinians and journalists, while the United States condemned âthe hateful chants such as âDeath to Arabsââ during the rally.
Later on Sunday, Israelâs top politicians are set to hold a rare cabinet meeting within the Old City.
It comes days into a May 13 truce reached between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza, ending five days of cross-border fighting.
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