Anger as far-right Israeli minister prays at flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem
With Israel already facing global criticism over famine-like conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip, the visit by Itamar Ben-Gvir to the hillside compound threatened to further set back efforts by international mediators to halt Israel's nearly two-year military offensive in the territory.
The area, which Jews call the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism and was home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims call the site the Noble Sanctuary, and today it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam.
Visits are considered a provocation across the Muslim world and openly praying violates a longstanding status quo at the site.
Under the status quo, Jews have been allowed to tour the site but are barred from praying, with Israeli police and troops providing security.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said after Mr Ben-Gvir's visit that Israel would not change the norms governing the holy site.
Mr Ben-Gvir made the stop after Hamas released videos showing two emaciated Israeli hostages. The videos caused in uproar in Israel and raised pressure on the government to reach a deal to bring home from Gaza the remaining hostages who were captured on October 7 2023, in the attack that triggered the war.
During his visit to the hilltop compound, Mr Ben-Gvir called for Israel to annex the Gaza Strip and encourage Palestinians to leave, reviving rhetoric that has complicated negotiations to end the war.
He condemned the video that Hamas released on Saturday of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David, showing him looking skeletal and hollow-eyed in a dimly lit Gaza tunnel.
The minister called it an attempt to pressure Israel.
Mr Ben-Gvir's previous visits to the site have been explosive and prompted threats from Palestinian militant groups. Clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian demonstrators in and around the site fuelled an 11-day war with Hamas in 2021.
His Sunday visit was swiftly condemned as an incitement by Palestinian leaders as well as Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Sufian Qudah, spokesman for the foreign ministry in neighboring Jordan, which serves as the custodian of the Al Aqsa Mosque, condemned what he called 'provocative incursions by the extremist minister' and implored Israel to prevent escalation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
44 minutes ago
- Reuters
Hamas, India-US trade and Taiwan semiconductors
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. Hamas says it's prepared to coordinate to deliver aid to hostages it holds in Gaza after a videos showingcaptives drew sharp criticism. A top Trump aide accuses India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine – what went wrong with trade negotiations? Plus, Taiwan cultivates young overseas talent to meet a shortage in the semiconductor industry. Find today's recommended read here. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit to opt out of targeted advertising. Further Reading Over 3,000 Boeing fighter jet workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer Texas Democrats seek to block redistricting vote by leaving state Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire at railway station in Volgograd region, Russia says Japan's Ishiba signals talks with Trump for early cut to US auto tariff China's independent oil firms elbow into Iraq's majors-dominated market
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Israel planning new assault on Gaza after disturbing videos of emaciated hostages kidnapped by Hamas spark global fury
One heart-wrenching clip shows a hostage digging what he believes to be his own grave STORM OF IRON Israel planning new assault on Gaza after disturbing videos of emaciated hostages kidnapped by Hamas spark global fury Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ISRAEL is gearing up for a new assault on Gaza after horrific hostage videos lit a firestorm across the globe. Harrowing footage shows two Israeli captives — starved, pale, and broken — suffering in Hamas tunnels. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Israeli hostage Evyatar David looking weak and malnourished Credit: AFP 8 The 24-year-old is seen digging what he believes is his own grave 8 Israeli soldiers are seen in a tunnel that the military says Hamas militants used to attack the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip Credit: AP 8 Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the border on July 31 Credit: EPA Evyatar David, 24, and Rom Braslavski, 21, were both abducted from the Nova music festival on the deadly October 7 attacks. Now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the gloves are off. In a fiery address Sunday night, the PM declared that Israel would press forward with a "decisive military victory" to free the remaining hostages. Netanyahu again vowed to crush Hamas, which he said was deliberately starving captives in scenes chillingly reminiscent of the Nazi death camps. Referencing the horror hostage videos, he said: "You see them languishing in a dungeon, but the Hamas monsters surrounding them have thick, fleshy arms. "They have everything they need to eat. They are starving them, just as the Nazis starved the Jews." The footage — released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad last week and approved for publication by the families — shows the hostages visibly emaciated, trembling, and close to collapse. In one heart-wrenching moment, David is seen digging what he believes to be his own grave. In another, Braslavski cries as he says he has eaten only three crumbs of falafel that day. His devastated family said in a statement: "They managed to break Rom. Harrowing moment desperate Gazans overrun food trucks as Israel challenges UN to ship in more aid after pausing fighting "He has simply been forgotten there." David's family described their son as a "living skeleton, buried alive" in Hamas's tunnels. "I haven't eaten for days... I barely got drinking water," David says in the footage. International fury The horrifying scenes have prompted an international backlash. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the images "sickening," while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron demanded immediate release of the hostages. The Red Cross described the footage as "stark evidence" of life-threatening conditions and urged immediate access to the captives. Netanyahu met with the Red Cross delegation head on Sunday, demanding urgent medical and food access to the hostages. Behind closed doors, Israeli security officials admit they had long known about the hostages' deteriorating condition. According to Ynet, intelligence briefings warned weeks ago that captors were deliberately withholding food under direct orders —feeding the prisoners just enough to keep them alive. 8 Israel is planning a new assault on Gaza after the horrific hostage videos Credit: EPA 8 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press forward with a 'decisive military victory' Credit: Reuters 8 Smoke rises from Gaza following an explosion in May Credit: Reuters 8 Palestinians at an aid distribution centre near the Zikim border crossing in Gaza to access limited food on Sunday Credit: Getty But the images have had a visceral impact on the Israeli public, and on Netanyahu himself. The prime minister said: "Like you, I was horrified yesterday. I saw the gruesome videos of our beloved sons, Rom and Evyatar. "When I see this, I understand exactly what Hamas wants. It does not want a deal. It wants to break us… But we will not break. "I am filled with even greater resolve to free our hostages, eliminate Hamas and ensure Gaza is never again a threat to the State of Israel." War cabinet at a crossroads According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu is driving a plan for expanded military action - pushing into parts of Gaza previously avoided in hopes of preserving hostages' lives. But the security cabinet is divided. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Mossad chief David Barnea are reportedly urging caution, while far-right ministers like Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich call for a full-scale reoccupation. They are starving them, just as the Nazis starved the Jews Benjamin Netanyahu Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Netanyahu's military secretary are among those backing an expanded war effort now being framed as inevitable in the absence of any viable diplomatic track. "Hamas is not interested in a deal," a senior Israeli official told Israel Hayom, saying that the group has flatly rejected all proposals, including full hostage release and Gaza demilitarisation. "Hamas has rejected every deal," said a senior source quoted by Israel Hayom. "Their refusal is rooted in the belief that starvation of the hostages and international pressure will force Israel to surrender. That cannot be allowed to happen." As ABC News confirmed through Israeli sources, Netanyahu is now pushing a 'military solution' and coordinating with Washington amid signs the US is no longer willing to back partial hostage deals.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Iran sets up new defence body in wake of Israel and US attacks
Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the country's highest security body, made the decision to establish the Supreme National Defence Council, which will be headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian, the report said. The council will handle defensive plans and improve the capabilities of Iran's armed forces. Members will include the speaker of Parliament, the head of the judiciary and the chiefs of military branches and related ministries, the report said. Damage from a deadly June 13 Israeli airstrike is seen in a building at a residential compound in Tehran, Iran (AP) The defence, intelligence and foreign ministries are expected to be council members, although the report did not provide those details. Iran's decision follows a 12-day air war by Israel and the US that led to the deaths of nearly 1,100 people including military chiefs and commanders. A ceasefire has been in force since shortly after the airstrikes targeted Iran's major nuclear facilities. Iran had a similar council during the 1980s war between Iran and Iraq that left nearly one million casualties on both sides.
