Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on Thursday, December 26, under heavy police guard, causing concerns about potential escalation.
In a post on X, Ben-Gvir said he “went up to our holy place this morning to pray for the safety of our soldiers, for the speedy return of all those kidnapped and for complete victory with God’s help.”
He also shared a photo of himself surrounded by armed soldiers upon entering the holy Muslim site.
This was the fifth visit by Ben-Gvir since he became a national security minister in 2022. It also coincided with the week-long Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which started on Thursday.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in East Jerusalem’s Old City, is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims and is also known as the Temple Mount by Jews. It was captured by Israel in 1967 and illegally annexed in 1980, violating international law.
Thursday’s visit of Ben-Gvir come amid the ongoing war of extermination waged by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
Since then, the Israeli attack on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 45,361 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and injured 107,803 others, with thousands more missing and presumed dead.
