Israeli Minister Leads Hundreds into Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, Violating Status Quo

Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led hundreds of Jewish worshippers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Thursday. This action breaches the long-standing status quo governing the holy site, coinciding with Tisha B'Av, a Jewish day of fasting commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples.

Video footage showed Ben Gvir and other worshippers, including illegal Jewish settlers who had queued since early morning, present in the compound. Some were seen praying, a practice forbidden for non-Jews at the site under the 1967 status quo agreement, which permits visits but prohibits worship. Ben Gvir was quoted saying, "Look what is happening here. Jews are praying and feel that they are the true owners of this place."

Israeli media reported that police permitted over 1,000 Israelis to pray at the site on Thursday. The Jerusalem religious endowments administration deemed Ben Gvir's actions a dangerous provocation. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the visit as a clear violation of international law, while the Palestinian militant group Hamas warned of severe consequences for the "Zionist regime." Jordan's Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the visit, calling it a desecration of the mosque's sanctity and an unacceptable act of provocation.

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Look what is happening here. Jews are praying and feel that they are the true owners of this place.