Ben-Gvir visit to Al-Aqsa sparks fresh tensions

Tensions escalated in occupied East Jerusalem after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the Jewish fast of Tisha B’Av, drawing strong condemnation from Palestinian and regional officials.

According to the Jerusalem Governorate, around 1,300 Israeli visitors entered the Al-Aqsa compound during the morning, while Israeli police reportedly increased the size of entry groups and imposed strict restrictions on Palestinian worshippers seeking access to the site. 

The governorate also claimed that some visitors performed religious rituals inside the compound and warned that groups advocating the construction of a Jewish temple at the site were encouraging larger-scale visits.

Reuters reported that Ben-Gvir praised Jewish visitors who prayed at the site despite longstanding arrangements under which the compound is administered by the Jordanian Waqf and only Muslim prayer is officially permitted there. 

His visit prompted condemnation from Jordan and Palestinian authorities, who said it violated the status quo governing one of the region’s most sensitive religious sites.