JERUSALEM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Sunday sparked regional condemnation and raised concerns over escalating tensions.
The move came as Israeli strikes continued across the Gaza Strip. On Sunday, dozens of Palestinians were reportedly killed en route to aid distribution points, amid mounting global criticism accusing Israel of creating famine-like conditions in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The visit also came after Hamas released videos showing an Israeli hostage in Gaza who appeared visibly frail and emaciated. The footage sparked public outrage in Israel and intensified pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reach a deal for the return of the remaining hostages.
In a video message recorded during his visit and posted on X, Ben-Gvir said, “Precisely from here, a message must be sent: to ensure that we conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip, take down every Hamas member, and encourage voluntary migration (of Palestinians from Gaza).”
“Only in this way will we bring back the hostages and win the war,” he added.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released a statement following Ben-Gvir’s visit, saying Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo on the site “has not changed and will remain unchanged.”
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located in East Jerusalem, a territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed shortly thereafter. The compound is now administered by the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, through its Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, but is secured by Israeli police.
Under a long-held status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not to pray there. However, some far-right Israelis have increasingly prayed at the site in recent years. ■