Saudi Arabia has led a refrain of condemnation following a go to on Tuesday through Israel’s far-proper country wide protection minister to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The move, through firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, has enraged Palestinians, at the same time as americaA warned of steps that could damage the popularity quo. The Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry issued a assertion wherein it denounced the “provocative motion” through the Israeli official.
Ben-Gvir’s go to to the webweb page, below heavy protection, induced a wave of condemnations through Arab states and agencies who noticed the act as a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the location. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation defined the go to “as a part of Israel’s tries to alternate the present anciental and criminal popularity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.” The OIC brought it taken into consideration the act “a provocation to the emotions of all Muslims and a flagrant violation of applicable worldwide resolutions.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh claimed the go to changed into an try to show the mosque complex “right into a Jewish temple.” Addressing his Cabinet, Shtayyeh known as on Palestinians to “confront the raids into Al-Aqsa Mosque.” The Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated it “strongly condemns the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque through the extremist minister Ben-Gvir and perspectives it as an unparalleled provocation and a risky escalation of the conflict.”
The Foreign Ministry of Egypt — which serves as a key mediator in Gaza — warned “of the terrible effects of such moves on protection and stability” withinside the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the broader region. Jordan stated it condemned withinside the “severest of terms” the go to to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and “violating its sanctity.”
Its Foreign Ministry brought that the go to adverse worldwide regulation and “the anciental and criminal popularity quo in Jerusalem.” The UAE condemned Ben-Gvir’s “storming” of Al-Aqsa, at the same time as Kuwait issued a comparable assertion.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson known as on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep his dedication to holy webweb sites, and brought: “The United States stands firmly for the upkeep of the popularity quo with appreciate to the holy webweb sites in Jerusalem. “Any unilateral motion that jeopardizes the popularity quo is unacceptable.”
Ben-Gvir tweeted after his go to: “We are a central authority that doesn’t give up to the threats of Hamas. “The Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque) is the maximum essential location for the human beings of Israel. “We keep freedom of worship for Muslims and Christians, however the Jews additionally have the proper to the location and to head as much as it.
“We have to address an iron fist towards every body who threatens us.” Palestinian Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs Hatem Al-Bakri stated that Israeli settlers had multiplied incursions into Al-Aqsa at some point of December.
Israeli Army Radio mentioned that the leader of the country’s protection organization Shin Bet and Israel’s police leader had given the inexperienced mild to Ben-Gvir’s trip. Israel’s protection offerings raised their nation of alert following the go to after threats from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Palestinian factions known as at the human beings of the West Bank to expand their competition to the Israeli navy and settlers in protection of Al-Aqsa. They additionally known as at the Palestinian Authority to forestall protection coordination with the Israeli military.
Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a professor of political technological know-how at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, advised Arab News that each Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir misled the Palestinians approximately the go to, which had taken location while there have been no Palestinians interior Al-Aqsa Mosque.
He advised Arab News: “I agree with that Hamas will now no longer move for an armed escalation, however it is able to react not directly withinside the coming days, both through firing a missile or capturing on the Israeli forces deployed alongside the border with the Gaza Strip.
“If Ben-Gvir’s go to had taken location openly, it’d had been understood as a assignment to Hamas, and the state of affairs could had been greater hard and complicated.”
A US Embassy spokesperson stated Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides “has been very clean in conversations with the Israeli authorities on the difficulty of keeping the popularity quo in Jerusalem’s holy webweb sites. Actions that save you which are unacceptable.”
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian presidential spokesman, stated Ben-Gvir’s go to changed into a assignment to the Palestinian human beings, the Arab nation, and the worldwide community. A assertion from the United Kingdom stated: “We are involved through the go to to Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount through minister Ben-Gvir today.
“The UK stays devoted to the popularity quo, and all have to keep away from moves which inflame tensions and undermine the motive of peace.” Ben-Gvir’s go to got here simply days after he took workplace as country wide protection minister, with powers over police.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest location in Islam and the maximum sacred webweb page to Jews, who discuss with the compound because the Temple Mount. Under a long-status agreement, non-Muslims can go to the webweb page at precise instances however aren’t allowed to hope there.
In current years, a developing quantity of Jews, maximum of them Israeli nationalists, have covertly prayed on the compound. Situated withinside the walled Old City of Israel-annexed East Jerusalem, the compound is run through Jordan’s Waqf Council, with Israeli forces running there and controlling access.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot useless Adam Ayad, 16, at some point of their incursion into the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem early on Tuesday. It introduced to 3 the quantity of Palestinians killed through Israeli forces withinside the first 3 days of 2023. A complete protest strike has been introduced in Bethlehem.