OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Hamas Movement condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s raid on Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem on Monday, describing it as an election stunt that exploits Muslim holy sites and disregards the religious sentiments of Muslims worldwide.
In a press statement, Hamas said Ben-Gvir broke into the Mosque compound accompanied by several candidates in Israel’s upcoming Knesset elections and groups of Jewish settlers.
The Movement described the incursion as a violation of the Mosque’s sanctity and an assault on Palestinian rights, stressing that Israeli actions would not succeed in changing Aqsa’s Islamic identity or undermining Palestinians’ rights to the holy site.
Hamas warned that the timing of the raid, just one day before Israel’s October 27 parliamentary elections, demonstrated the dangers of turning Muslim holy sites into arenas for political competition and election campaigning.
Ben-Gvir storms Aqsa under heavy Israeli police protection
Ben-Gvir stormed the Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday afternoon through the Magharibeh Gate under heavy police protection.
According to the Islamic Waqf Department in occupied Jerusalem, the extremist minister was accompanied by dozens of Israeli settlers who toured the Mosque courtyards, received explanations about the purported Jewish Temple and performed Talmudic rituals in the eastern section of the compound.
The raid comes amid intensified political and media activity by Ben-Gvir ahead of the Israeli elections, as he seeks to strengthen his standing among far-right voters.
Hamas called on Palestinians to increase their presence at Aqsa Mosque, support Jerusalem residents and strengthen their steadfastness against Israeli incursions and attempts to impose new realities at the holy site.
The Movement also urged Arab and Muslim nations, religious institutions and human rights organizations to coordinate practical measures to protect Aqsa Mosque and Occupied Jerusalem.
It stressed the need for sustained international pressure to halt Israeli attacks on Palestinians, their land and their religious sites.
Palestinian prisoners used in election campaigning
Ben-Gvir’s political campaigning has also involved publicly promoting punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The Israeli far-right minister has boasted about reducing prisoners’ food portions, restricting access to certain foods and imposing tighter controls on water, bathing and family visits.
In one recent incident, Ben-Gvir referred to himself as the “bread minister” while celebrating restrictions on food provided to Palestinian detainees.
Israeli media also disclosed that eight Palestinian prisoners at Lavi Prison were placed in solitary confinement after collecting small quantities of food to make a cake celebrating the possibility of Ben-Gvir losing his position following the elections.
These measures have drawn criticism over the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and the deterioration of detention conditions.
Growing restrictions on Palestinian access to Aqsa
Israeli forces continue to impose strict restrictions on Palestinians seeking to enter Aqsa Mosque, including residents of Occupied Jerusalem and Palestinians living within the Green Line.
Worshipers face identity checks at the Mosque’s entrances, with Israeli forces sometimes confiscating identification documents while protecting settler incursions.
Jewish settlers and Israeli forces regularly storm the Mosque compound, generally excluding Fridays and Saturdays, raising Palestinian concerns about attempts to alter its historical and legal status quo and impose a division of the site by time and space.
The incursions coincide with continued Israeli home demolitions, restrictions on Palestinian movement and attacks targeting Palestinian communities in Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Observers warn that Ben-Gvir’s use of measures against Palestinian prisoners, homes and religious sites as campaign material reflects the growing role of anti-Palestinian policies in Israel’s electoral competition.
With the Knesset elections approaching, concerns are mounting that competition among far-right Israeli factions could encourage further restrictions and violations against Palestinians, threatening to intensify tensions in Occupied Jerusalem and across the Palestinian territories.
