More than two thousand Israelis entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, performing prayers to mark a Jewish observance, which an Islamic Endowment official described as "provocative." Ben Gvir stated that Israel "will defeat Hamas," calling for no negotiations proposed by mediating countries in Doha or Cairo.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli forces control the entrances to the site, which is managed by the Islamic Waqf authority affiliated with Jordan. According to the status quo established after Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, non-Muslims can visit Al-Aqsa Mosque at specified times without praying, a rule increasingly violated by ultra-Orthodox Jews. Palestinians and the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf view the visits of nationalist Jews to Al-Aqsa as a provocation to Muslim sentiments.
The "Day of the Destruction of the Temple," corresponding to August 9 on the Hebrew calendar, is a day of fasting and mourning for the destruction of what Jews call "Solomon's Temple" or the First Temple. An official from the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem stated that "2,250 extremist Jews performed provocative prayers and dances and raised the Israeli flag during the incursions."
He noted that Minister Ben Gvir, as National Security Minister, oversaw the Judaization operations and contributed to changing the reality inside Al-Aqsa Mosque instead of upholding international treaties. According to the official, who preferred to remain anonymous, Israeli police imposed "restrictions" on the entry of Palestinian worshippers to Al-Aqsa Mosque, allowing only "a few to enter."
Videos and images shared on social media, including those posted by the Islamic Waqf, showed Ben Gvir walking through the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a video posted on his account on the "X" platform, Ben Gvir pledged "victory." He said: "We must triumph in this battle; we must win and not go to talks in Doha or Cairo," referring to the call for negotiations to be held on August 15. He added, "We must defeat Hamas; we must bring them to their knees."
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement regarding the incident at Al-Aqsa Mosque, affirming that "what happened this morning... is an exception to the current status."
