Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Security and leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, where the Al-Aqsa mosque complex is situated. This was reported by Kan Radio.
On the Temple Mount, Ben-Gvir stated that he came to pray for the return of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, “but without a reckless deal” with Hamas. He also expressed that he was “praying and working hard” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resist international pressure and continue the military operation in Gaza, escalating the "military onslaught" until "total victory" is achieved.
This marks Ben-Gvir's second visit to the Temple Mount since the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. His previous visit to this site, which is sacred to both Jews and Muslims, occurred on May 22. During that visit, he declared his opposition to recognizing Palestinian statehood.
The status of Jerusalem remains a critical issue in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Israel occupied the eastern part of the city during the 1967 war and maintains that Jerusalem is its "one and indivisible" capital. However, the UN Security Council rejected Israel's claim to East Jerusalem and called on member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city, as stated in Resolution 478 of August 20, 1980.
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Based on materials from TASS