The minister for national security
Itamar Ben Gvir
, leader of the far-right 'Otzmà Yehudit' party, escorted by dozens of agents, went this morning to the Esplanade of the Mosques in Jerusalem, which for the Jews is the Temple Mount, and from there he declared that "the Temple Mount is the most important place for the people of Israel".
He added that he will not be intimidated by threats from Hamas.
The Palestinian National Authority, which fears that Israel's new government plans to change the status of the esplanade, immediately condemned the "incursion" and called it "
an unprecedented and dangerous provocation
".
Ben Gvir explained that he climbed the esplanade on the occasion of a Jewish feast, the fast of the 10th of the month of Teveth.
He was accompanied by an Orthodox rabbi and, according to media reports, he left "after 13 minutes".
"
We guarantee freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians - he said - but Jews too will go up to the Temple Mount
. And for those who make threats there will be an iron fist".
Yesterday from Gaza Hamas and Islamic Jihad had threatened reactions if Ben Gvir entered the Esplanade of the Mosques.
However, an initial reaction came from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry which attributed responsibility for what happened this morning to Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.
"
A serious challenge to the feelings of all our Palestinian people
".
This is how Prime Minister
Muhammad Shtayyeh
described "this morning's assault on the Al-Aqsa mosque" by Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
"These incursions - he added, quoted by Wafa - aim to transform the Al-Aqsa mosque into a Jewish temple, which constitutes a violation of all international norms, values, agreements and laws and of Israel's commitments towards the president American".
Shtayyeh said he "holds the Israeli government responsible for the repercussions of the aggression against the Palestinian people."
Jordan "strongly" condemned
Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's visit to the Esplanade in Jerusalem this morning.
"The assault on the Al-Aqsa mosque by a member of the Israeli government and the violation of its sacredness - said the spokesman of the Amman foreign ministry Sinan Majali, quoted by Petra - is an act to be condemned, provocative and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, as well as the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem".
Majali called on the international community to "take rapid and decisive action" and held Israel "responsible".
