JERUSALEM, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited East Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday, defying a long-standing status quo, and called for the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip.
In a video message taken during his visit and published on X, Ben-Gvir said, "Precisely from here, a message must be sent: to ensure that we conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip, take down every Hamas member, and encourage voluntary migration (of Palestinians from Gaza)."
He added, "Only in this way will we bring back the hostages and win the war."
Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that Ben-Gvir also prayed at the site, despite a ban. Police officers present did not attempt to stop him, according to the broadcaster.
The visit prompted condemnations from Arab leaders, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned the move as a blatant provocation to the sentiments of Muslims worldwide.
Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office released a statement in an attempt to ease tensions, saying that Israel's policy to maintain the status quo at the site "has not changed and will not change."
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located in East Jerusalem, a territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed shortly thereafter. The compound is now administered by the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, through its Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, but secured by Israeli police.
Under a long-held status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not to pray there. However, far-right Israeli extremists have increasingly prayed at the site in recent years. ■