Israeli mob led by far-right politician Ben-Gvir storms Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque – Islam’s third holiest site – on Jewish holiday, prompting rare condemnation from Netanyahu amid rising tensions with Iran and Hezbollah

An Israeli mob led by far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Jerusalem’s holiest site today, a pilgrimage that Muslims see as provocative.

His visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque marks the beginning of a new challenge to the rules governing one of the Middle East’s most sensitive sites, which has already seen tensions rise around the complex, leading to violence.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the visit, which took place on a Jewish holiday, calling it a “provocative intrusion” that jeopardized the fragile status quo around the Jerusalem complex.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denied that there would be any change in the rules that ban Jews from praying at the site, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews, and he also rebuked Ben-Gvir, the national security minister.

“There is no private policy of any minister on the Temple Mount – neither of the Minister of National Security, nor of any other minister,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

His comments come at a particularly sensitive time as the war in Gaza threatens to escalate into a wider conflict, potentially involving Iran and its regional allies.

An Israeli mob led by far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed Jerusalem’s holiest site today in a pilgrimage seen as provocative by Muslims (the location pictured on August 13)

About 1,600 Jewish activists, accompanied by Israeli police, storm the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque

Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, visited the site as Jews celebrated Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning commemorating the destruction of the biblical temples.

It marks the day on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, the most significant being the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem in the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 587 BCE.

The Al-Aqsa complex is revered by Jews as a remnant of their two ancient temples and is managed by a Jordanian religious foundation.

But under rules that date back decades, Jews are allowed to visit the temple but are not allowed to pray there.

“Our policy is to allow prayer,” Ben-Gvir said as he walked past a line of Jewish visitors to the site earlier today.

In a video released by his office, Ben-Gvir was also seen walking through the complex chanting, “People of Israel, live!” as he was accompanied by dozens of supporters.

One of the supporters shouted a Jewish prayer, which is not allowed under long-standing regulations at the site, which are intended to ease tensions in the region.

Ben-Gvir has said he will change policy and despite earlier assurances from Netanyahu that this was not the case, he reiterated this position today.

The security minister added that “very great progress” has been made in enabling Jewish prayer at the site.

According to the Waqf, the foundation that manages the site, some 2,250 Jews arrived at the site on Tuesday.

The Al-Aqsa complex is revered by Jews as a remnant of their two ancient temples and is managed by a Jordanian religious foundation

Activist Jewish settlers, under the protection of Israeli troops, invaded the Old City of East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday

The spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit as a “provocation” and called on the United States to intervene “if it wants to prevent the region from disintegrating in an uncontrollable manner.”

Ben-Gvir, leader of one of the religious-nationalist parties in Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, has repeatedly clashed with other ministers over his calls to allow prayers at the complex.

Moshe Gafni, leader of United Torah Judaism, one of the religious parties in the government, criticized Ben-Gvir’s visit to the complex, which many Orthodox Jews consider too holy for Jews to enter.

“The harm this causes to the Jewish people is unbearable and it also causes unfounded hatred on the day of the destruction of the Temple,” he said in a statement.