JERUSALEM: Several countries on Tuesday condemned the storming of the courtyards of Al Aqsa Mosque by two Israeli ministers, members of the Israeli Knesset, and hundreds of Israeli settlers and extremists.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and more than 2,000 Israelis gathered in groups at Al Aqsa Mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem and performed prayers marking a Jewish holiday, AFP said.
Ben Gvir, who has often defied the Israeli government’s longstanding ban on Jewish prayer at the mosque compound, vowed to “defeat Hamas” in Gaza in a video he filmed during his visit.
The compound is Islam’s third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national identity but it is also Judaism’s holiest place, revered as the site of the ancient temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
While Jews and other non-Muslims are allowed to visit the mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem during specified hours, they are not permitted to pray or display religious symbols.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry slammed the “blatant and repeated incursions” by Israeli officials and citizens.
Qatar condemned “in the strongest terms” the visit to Al Aqsa mosque compound by Ben Gvir, with nearly 2,000 others.
In a statement, foreign ministry called the visit “a provocation and a flagrant violation of international law,” noting that such actions constitute “an attack not only on Palestinian, but also on millions of Muslims around the world” that may negatively impact ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
Jordan urged the international community to “firmly” condemn the visit, alleging that the site is an exclusive place of worship for Muslims and is under the jurisdiction of the Jordanian Waqf, and asserting that Israel has no sovereignty over the “occupied city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.”
The Palestinian Authority also condemned Israel for allowing the worshipers to visit the site, calling it a “dangerous provocation.”
Provocations
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for PA President Mahmoud Abbas, said Ramallah holds Israel “responsible for these practices” and called on the United States to “intervene immediately to stop these provocations against our holy religious sites.”
Ahram Online quoted the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the storming co-occurred with the Palestinian worshippers being barred from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque.
Egypt emphasised that these “irresponsible and provocative actions” violate international law and Jerusalem’s historical and legal status.
“The frequent and consistent nature of these actions indicates that a systematic policy is being enforced,” the statement read, stressing that the current situation requires urgent intervention to stop these practices.
Cairo called on the international community to play an active role in confronting the Israeli violations. It stressed that such Israeli acts aim to undermine efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
Egypt said it would press ahead with efforts to achieve a just, lasting, and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 4th June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In recent years, the restrictions have been increasingly flouted by hardline religious nationalists like Ben Gvir, prompting sometimes violent reactions from Palestinians.
On Tuesday morning, Ben Gvir and some 2,250 other Israelis walked through the compound in groups, singing Jewish hymns under the protection of Israeli police, an official from the Waqf, the Jordanian body that is custodian of the site, told AFP.
“Minister Ben Gvir, instead of maintaining the status quo at the mosque is supervising the Judaisation operation and trying to change the situation inside Al Aqsa mosque,” the official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the issue.
Israeli police also “imposed restrictions” on Muslim worshippers trying to enter the mosque, he said.
Rituals
Images posted on social media networks showed Ben Gvir inside the compound while several Israelis lay on the ground performing Talmudic rituals.
Ben Gvir released a video statement on social media platform X, which he filmed inside the compound himself, vowing to win the war in Gaza.
“We must win this war. We must win and not go to the talks in Doha or Cairo,” he said, referring to the US-backed negotiations for a truce and hostage release deal for Gaza to resume on August 15.
“We can defeat Hamas.. we must bring them down to their knees,” Ben Gvir said.
Tuesday’s storming of the Al Aqsa compound comes on the Jewish mourning day of Tisha Be’Av that commemorates the destruction of the ancient temple.
Last month too, Ben Gvir, who is known for provocative gestures, said he had prayed inside the Al Aqsa mosque compound, defying the longstanding rules that permit Jewish visits but forbid prayer.
