Palestinians and Jordan Condemn Israel's Ben-Gvir for Violating Al-Aqsa Status Quo Amid Religious Tensions

Palestinians across the region have strongly condemned the recent incursion by Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. This marks his third visit to the site this year, a move that has drawn widespread criticism from Palestinian leaders and international observers alike. Accompanied by Israeli settlers and shielded by Israeli security forces, Ben-Gvir conducted Jewish prayers at the compound, an act that directly contravenes the longstanding status quo agreements established in 1967. These arrangements, which govern access to the holy site, explicitly prohibit non-Muslims from performing religious rituals within the mosque's premises.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry issued a sharp rebuke, calling Ben-Gvir's visit a "desecration of its sanctity" and an "unacceptable provocation." The statement emphasized that the minister's actions violate the delicate balance of religious coexistence that has, however imperfectly, defined the site's governance for decades. Similarly, the Palestinian Authority's presidency denounced the incursion as a "blatant violation" of both historical and legal norms. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the move exacerbates tensions at a time when the site has already become a flashpoint for escalating confrontations between Israeli settlers and Palestinian worshippers.

Ben-Gvir, a prominent figure in Israel's settler movement, has made no secret of his ambitions to reshape the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Since assuming office in 2022, he has breached the site at least 16 times, each visit accompanied by a growing number of Israeli settlers and security personnel. His rhetoric has included explicit calls to construct a Jewish synagogue on the site, a proposal that has been met with fierce opposition from Palestinian and Muslim communities worldwide. In a video shared by his office, Ben-Gvir declared, "Today, I feel like the owner here," a statement that underscores his provocative stance. Despite repeated calls for restraint, no official response has been forthcoming from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

The incursion occurred amid broader efforts by Israeli authorities to tighten control over the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Following Israel's military campaign against Iran in February, the site was closed to the public for 40 days—a move that drew sharp criticism from Palestinian and Muslim groups. While the mosque reopened on April 9, restrictions persisted. That same day, Israeli settlers conducted Talmudic rituals within the compound, a practice permitted under recent policy shifts that have extended daily access windows for settlers by an additional 30 minutes. These changes, coupled with the ongoing closure of Eid al-Fitr prayers—a first since 1967—highlight a pattern of discriminatory measures targeting Palestinian worshippers.

Meanwhile, violence has continued to escalate across the occupied West Bank. Israeli security forces conducted raids in multiple locations on Sunday, arresting at least 18 Palestinians. In Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem, six individuals were detained during a raid, while in Nablus, a child and a young man sustained injuries after clashes with Israeli troops. These operations are part of a broader campaign that has seen thousands of Palestinians displaced and over 1,100 killed since October 2023, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The agency has repeatedly warned that such actions risk deepening regional instability and further eroding trust in international efforts to mediate the conflict.

The situation at Al-Aqsa remains a critical fulcrum in the broader struggle over Jerusalem's religious and political future. With each incursion by Israeli officials and settlers, the potential for renewed violence grows. Palestinian leaders have repeatedly called for international intervention to uphold the status quo and protect the site's sanctity, but thus far, such appeals have gone largely unheeded. As tensions mount, the world watches closely, aware that the actions taken in East Jerusalem could reverberate far beyond the region, shaping the trajectory of Middle Eastern geopolitics for years to come.