Ben Gvir leads settler raid on Al-Aqsa amid tight security

On Sunday, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, under heavy police protection, led hundreds of far-right settlers in a provocative raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. The group performed Talmudic prayers, danced, and chanted, violating the long-standing status quo that prohibits Jewish worship at the Muslim holy site.

1news.media reports, citing Middle East Eye, that eyewitnesses described military-style lockdowns, checkpoints, and restrictions on Palestinian access. This marks Ben Gvir’s 12th raid on the mosque since joining Netanyahu’s government, further escalating tensions.

The Islamic Waqf and the Jerusalem Governorate condemned the raid as an attempt to impose Jewish sovereignty and divide Al-Aqsa, drawing parallels to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, which was divided after a similar campaign in the 1990s.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also denounced the action as a "provocation" and a threat to regional stability, urging the international community to intervene.