Israeli minister prays at sensitive Jerusalem holy site
Jordan, custodian of the site, called Ben-Gvir's latest visit "an unacceptable provocation".Hamas called it "a deepening of the ongoing aggressions against our Palestinian people", while a spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the visit "crossed all red lines".The site is the holiest place for Jews because it was the site of two Biblical temples. It is the third holiest place for Muslims, who believe it was where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.It was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. Under the status quo, Jordan was allowed to continue its historical role as custodian of the site, while Israel assumed control of security and access.Palestinians accuse Israel of taking steps to undermine the arrangements and complain that in recent years Jewish visitors have often been seen praying without being stopped by Israeli police.Waqf, the Islamic endowment which runs the site, said Ben-Gvir was among 1,250 Jews who ascended the compound on Sunday morning.Ben-Gvir, an ultra-nationalist who as national security minister oversees the police, has visited the site before, but the Times of Israel reported this was the first time that he openly prayed at the site.He was flanked by police officers while entering and touring the compound.In a statement at the site, Ben-Gvir said "horror" video of hostages recently released by Hamas, in which they appear emaciated, were aimed at putting pressure on Israel, and called for the hostages' return.The minister also repeated his call for Israel to occupy the whole of the Gaza Strip and to encourage what he described as "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from the territory.Experts say this would amount to the forced displacement of civilians, and a possible war crime. He has been sanctioned by the UK for "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities" in the occupied West Bank.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Mum of Israeli hostage Evyatar David delivers blistering message to Hamas apologists
Since Hamas released a video on Saturday which showed Evyatar David looking skeletal and hollow-eyed in a dimly lit Gaza tunnel, Keir Starmer has stressed the hostages must be released The mother of an Israeli hostage seen skeletal and hollow-eyed in a grim video has stressed she hopes the footage "has shaken people enough". Galia David has barely left her home since the horrifying footage of her son Evyatar, 24, went around the world. It shows him being forced to dig his own grave in the terror tunnels of Gaza. Describing the clip last night, Galia said: "He looked like a skeleton. It is sadistic torture." The brave mum, who is a dance instructor, added: "We very much hope this video has shaken people enough. I want everyone in the world to see this image, to know what Hamas terrorists are doing." It comes after furious Bob Geldof issued a desperate plea on Sky News to save babies in Gaza. Galia's first interview with the media since the footage emerged on Saturday follows Keir Starmer's announcement to recognise Palestine as a state. The Prime Minister said Britain is prepared to recognise the state of Palestine in September unless Israel agrees a ceasefire in Gaza. When such videos emerge from Hamas, the mainstream media wait for families to give the green light before airing them. Galia decided to request mainstream media to publish the video because she wants "the world will truly understand how the hostages are suffering". "That is why we ultimately decided to allow the release of the video – so that the world will truly understand how the hostages are suffering, who here is cruel, who is abusing not only our children but also the population in Gaza," mother-of-three Galia told Daily Mail. Addressing Mr Starmer and President of France Emmanuel Macron directly last night, Evyatar's dad Ilan Dalal said: "Because of you there wasn't an agreement to bring our children home, and you caused the war in Gaza to continue." But Mr Starmer has, this week, reiterated Hamas must release the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and play no role in the government of Gaza. The Government will then make an assessment in September "on how far the parties have met these steps", the Prime Minister said. And, of her son's desperate condition, Galia said: "I don't think I have to tell you how urgent it is to get them out... Medical professionals told us that he can live for only another few days." Last week, in a statement from Downing Street, the Prime Minister said the Palestinian people have "endured terrible suffering" with "catastrophic failure of aid". He added: "We see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end."
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Lebanon tasks army with limiting arms to state forces in challenge to Hezbollah
BEIRUT, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Lebanon's cabinet on Tuesday tasked the army with drawing up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year, a challenge to Hezbollah, which has rejected calls to disarm since last year's devastating war with Israel. The Iran-backed group is under pressure from its rivals in Lebanon and from Washington, who want Lebanon's ministers to publicly commit to disarming the party and worry that Israel could intensify strikes on Lebanon if they fail to do so. The session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time the cabinet addressed Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power just two years ago. Ministers met for nearly six hours. In a concluding statement, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the cabinet had authorized Lebanon's army to develop a plan to ensure that all arms across the country would be confined to six specific state security forces by the end of the year. But as ministers met, Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem resisted calls to disarm in a televised speech, saying: "I hope you (Lebanese officials) don't waste time on the storms stirred up by external dictates." He threatened Hezbollah would respond if Israel resumed a broader war on Lebanon and said any decision on Hezbollah's arms would have to come through a consensus reached with the group. "The strategy is not a timetable for disarmament," Qassem said. "The issue has become simply: give us weapons, but no national security. How is that possible? We do not accept it, because we consider ourselves a fundamental component of Lebanon." Two Shi'ite Muslim ministers left the session before the statement was agreed upon in a signal of their disapproval. Two other Shi'ite ministers were not present due to travel. Lebanon's Information Minister Paul Morcos said the army would have until the end of the month to submit its plan. He said the cabinet had discussed U.S. proposals to disarm Hezbollah but had not reached an agreement, and would resume its debate in a session on Thursday. In June, U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack proposed a roadmap to Lebanese officials to fully disarm Hezbollah, in exchange for Israel halting its strikes on Lebanon and withdrawing its troops from five points they still occupy in southern Lebanon. That proposal included a condition that Lebanon's government pass a cabinet decision clearly pledging to disarm Hezbollah. With little progress on the proposals, Washington's patience began wearing thin. It pressured Lebanon's ministers to swiftly make the public pledge so that talks could continue. But Lebanese officials and diplomats say such an explicit vow could spark communal tensions in Lebanon, where Hezbollah and its arsenal retain significant support among the country's Shi'ite Muslim community. Qassem on Tuesday read out parts of Barrack's proposal in his address, rejecting each clause. As he finished speaking, dozens of motorcycles with men carrying Hezbollah flags set out from one of the group's strongholds in Beirut's suburbs for the second time in two days. Hezbollah's main ally, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, was in talks with President Joseph Aoun and the prime minister, Salam, ahead of Tuesday's session to agree on a general phrase to include in a cabinet decision to appease the U.S. and buy Lebanon more time, two Lebanese officials said. Berri's proposed wording would commit Lebanon to forming a national defence strategy and maintaining a ceasefire with Israel, but would avoid an explicit pledge to disarm Hezbollah across Lebanon, the officials said. But other Lebanese ministers plan to propose a formulation that commits Lebanon to a deadline to disarm Hezbollah, said Kamal Shehadi, a minister affiliated with the anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces Party. "There's frankly no need to kick the can down the road and postpone a decision. We have to put Lebanon's interest first and take a decision today," Shehadi told Reuters. Lebanese officials and foreign envoys say Lebanese leaders fear that a failure to issue a clear decision on Tuesday could prompt Israel to escalate its strikes, including on Beirut. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire last November ended the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, though Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon.
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Antisemitism reports spiked day after Bob Vylan Glastonbury chants
Sentiment towards Israel is influencing and driving contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, the Community Security Trust (CST) said. The organisation, which monitors antisemitism in the UK, said there were a total of 1,521 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the first half of this year. This is the second-highest total ever reported to the organisation in the first six months of any year but is down by a quarter from the record high of 2,019 incidents recorded between January and June last year. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said antisemitic incidents and crimes 'remain shamefully and persistently high'. There were at least 200 incidents every month in the first half of 2025, with the highest daily total at 26 incidents reported on June 29. This was a day after a performance by punk duo Bob Vylan at the world-renowned Glastonbury music festival in Somerset. During the set, which was livestreamed on BBC, rapper Bobby Vylan chanted 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)'. The CST said the incidents reported to the charity involved anti-Jewish responses to events at Glastonbury as well as to the CST's subsequent statement on X which had branded the chants 'utterly chilling'. Avon and Somerset Police said last month that inquiries were continuing in relation to the comments made onstage during Bob Vylan's performance. The second-worst day for what the CST described as 'anti-Jewish hate' was May 17 when 19 incidents were recorded – coming a day after Israel announced an expansion of its military operation in Gaza. The CST said: 'Both of these cases illustrate how sentiment and rhetoric towards Israel and Zionism influence, shape and drive contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, online and offline, often around totemic events that grab mainstream public attention.' Just over half (51%) of all incidents in the first half of this year 'referenced or were linked to Israel, Palestine, the Hamas terror attack (of October 7, 2023) or the subsequent outbreak of conflict', the CST said. This was a similar proportion to the same period last year, and up from 16% in the first six months of 2023, reflecting a rise in 'anti-Jewish hate in the UK when Israel is at war', the CST said. Mark Gardner, the organisation's chief executive, said the statistics demonstrated 'extreme levels of Jew-hatred, committed in the name of anti-Israel activism'. June saw the highest number of incidents, with 326 being recorded following heightening tensions in Gaza. A total of 76 violent anti-Jewish assaults were recorded by the charity in the first six months of 2025, including three categorised as 'extreme violence' that resulted in either grievous bodily harm or a threat to life. The CST added that 84 cases of damage and desecration of Jewish property were recorded, as well as 21 incidents of mass-produced antisemitic literature and 1,236 incidents of verbal or written abuse. The trust said 572 online incidents were reported to them in the first half of the year, accounting for 38% of the total and down 12% from the same period last year. Giving examples of the range of incidents reported, Mr Gardner, said: 'It involves racial hatred, yelled at Jewish schoolchildren, scrawled on synagogue walls and thrown at anyone who is Jewish, or suspected of being Jewish. 'In such difficult times, CST is proud to give strength to British Jews when they most need it. 'We thank those politicians and police officers who have supported our community, especially when Jew-hatred is effectively sanctioned in so many spaces that falsely claim to oppose all forms of racism.' There were 774 antisemitic incidents recorded by the CST in Greater London, a drop of 26% over the same timeframe in 2024, and 194 cases in Greater Manchester, a decrease of 28% compared to the previous year. Outside these cities, the police areas with the highest number of reports were West Yorkshire with 73, Hertfordshire with 52, Scotland with 36, Sussex with 32 and West Midlands with 39. Northern Ireland had nine reports while Suffolk was the only mainland police region not to record a single incident, the trust said. Ms Cooper said antisemitism 'has a profoundly damaging impact both on the individuals affected and the wider Jewish community', and vowed the Government 'remains steadfast in its commitment to root out the poison of antisemitism wherever it is found'. The Government's independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord Mann, said the latest data shows 'that antisemitism continues to impact the British Jewish community at an unprecedented level'. He added: 'Antisemitism must be recognised by everyone as anti-Jewish racism and there must be a no tolerance approach to it across civil society at all levels.'
