WEST BANK
\nIsrael\u2019s 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.
\nThe 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.
\n\u201cJerusalem is our soul,\u201d Ben-Gvir wrote on Telegram, alongside a photo of himself at the site in the heart of the Old City.
\n\u201cThe threats of Hamas will not deter us, I went up to the Temple Mount!\u201d he wrote, using the Jewish name for the site.
\n\u201cI\u2019m happy to ascend the Temple Mount, the most important place for the people of Israel,\u201d he said during his visit to the compound.
\n\u201cAll the threats from Hamas will not help, we are in charge here in Jerusalem and all of the Land of Israel,\u201d he added.
\nHamas, the group that rules Gaza, denounced Ben-Gvir\u2019s last visit to the site I January and again slammed his action on Sunday.
\nIsrael will \u201cbear responsibility for the barbaric incursions of its ministers and herds of settlers\u201d, the group wrote on Telegram.
\nThe move \u201cconfirms the depths of danger looming over Al-Aqsa, under this Zionist fascist government and the arrogance of its ministers from the extreme right\u201d, said Hamas.
\nIsraeli police confirmed Ben-Gvir\u2019s visit in a statement, adding that it passed without incident.
\nAl-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.
\nThe compound is also the most sacred site for Jews, who pray below it at the Western Wall.
\nJordan decried Ben-Gvir\u2019s actions as a \u201cprovocative step\u201d and a \u201cdangerous and unacceptable escalation\u201d.
\nIt \u201crepresents a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law, and of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites\u201d, said foreign ministry spokesman Sinan Majali.
\nTours of the site by Jewish nationalists have long been criticised by Palestinians and Arab nations, while Ben-Gvir\u2019s visits have taken on added weight since he took office in December.
\nThe timing of Sunday\u2019s visit also holds significance, coming days after nationalists marched through the Old City to celebrate east Jerusalem\u2019s capture by Israeli forces in the 1967 Six-Day War.
\nPalestinians were forced to close their businesses and were removed from the march route to make way for the Israeli participants.
\nThursday\u2019s event was marred by incidents of violence against Palestinians and journalists, while the United States condemned \u201cthe hateful chants such as \u2018Death to Arabs\u2019\u201d during the rally.
\nLater on Sunday, Israel\u2019s top politicians are set to hold a rare cabinet meeting within the Old City.
\nIt comes days into a May 13 truce reached between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza, ending five days of cross-border fighting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WEST BANK Israel\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-332663","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n