OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, stormed the courtyards of the Aqsa Mosque on Monday evening through the al-Maghariba Gate, under heavy Israeli police protection.
According to the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem, Ben-Gvir toured the Mosque compound, moving from the al-Maghariba Gate toward the al-Salsila Gate before exiting along the same route, as large numbers of Israeli police were deployed across the area.
Israeli forces imposed strict military measures around Aqsa, including closing the gates of the Old City, restricting Palestinian movement, and preventing worshipers from accessing the holy shrine.
This comes amid increasing calls from settler groups to escalate such visits as part of a broader policy of escalation. Since taking office in 2023, Ben-Gvir has carried out around 14 such incursions.
Waqf condemns the incursion
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs strongly condemned the move, noting that it comes as Aqsa has remained closed for 38 consecutive days under the pretext of a “state of emergency” since the start of the Iran war.
The ministry warned that the visit poses a serious threat to the religious and spiritual sanctity of the Mosque, especially in the absence of Muslim worshipers, raising concerns over its timing and intent.
It stressed that actions by Israel’s far-right government, including ministers entering the holy Islamic site, constitute a blatant assault on a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, rejecting any claim by others to access it without permission. The ministry also denounced instances of religious rituals being performed at the site as a grave violation of Islamic holy places.
The ministry called on Islamic and Arab institutions to take urgent action to defend Aqsa, urging that its closure be raised as an international issue and demanding an end to restrictions preventing worshipers from reaching and praying at the site.
It also called on international bodies to intervene immediately to protect the Mosque from an intensified Israeli campaign, while urging Palestinians to remain steadfast and maintain a presence at Aqsa to counter ongoing violations.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities continue to enforce the closure of both the Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the 38th consecutive day, citing security conditions.
These measures are widely seen as part of efforts to impose greater control over the site, amid growing public calls for mass mobilization at surrounding checkpoints to break the siege and reopen the Mosque.
