Itamar Ben-Gvir Performs Prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, accompanied by rabbis, extremist settlers, and Israeli police. Ben-Gvir performed Talmudic prayers and rituals in the eastern courtyards, an act that violates the 1967 status quo arrangement prohibiting non-Muslim prayer at the site. During the incursion, Ben-Gvir called for the eventual establishment of a Jewish temple at the location, stating the process should occur "little by little."

Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the event as a "blatant violation of the existing historical and legal status quo" and a "desecration of its sanctity." Jordanian spokesperson Fouad Majali asserted that Israel possesses no sovereignty over the city's holy sites and described the incursion as a reckless attempt to divide the site spatially and temporally.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar also denounced the action as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and an unacceptable provocation to Muslims worldwide. Qatar warned that such repeated violations fuel regional violence and called on the international community to compel Israel to cease actions against Palestinian holy sites.

The incident occurred approximately two months before Israel's general elections, scheduled for October 27, amid a broader movement by settlers to take over the compound.