(MENAFN) Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made a second incursion in one week into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, a Palestinian agency reported.

Jerusalem’s Islamic Endowments Directorate, along with eyewitnesses, confirmed that the extremist minister entered the highly sensitive site under heavy Israeli police escort.

Last week’s similar visit coincided with the Jewish Sukkot holiday and triggered widespread condemnation from Palestinians.

The latest entry was not publicly announced beforehand, despite Israeli ministers being required to secure prior approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office before accessing the site.

Since his appointment in 2022, Ben-Gvir has forcefully entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex 13 times, including 10 visits following the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.

On Monday, the Islamic Endowments Council in Jerusalem condemned the ongoing situation, stating the mosque compound has suffered “the worst demolition of its historical and legal status in modern times,” especially during 2025.

The council accused Israeli authorities and extremist Jewish groups of “flagrant and unprecedented violations,” citing “large-scale incursions into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, desecration of its sanctity, and attempts to alter its Islamic identity” through activities such as Talmudic rituals, chanting, dancing, flag-waving, and even offering animal and plant sacrifices within the compound.

Al-Aqsa Mosque ranks as the third-holiest site in Islam, while Jewish groups refer to the location as the Temple Mount, asserting it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and formally annexed the entire city in 1980—a move not recognized by the international community.

In a landmark ruling last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for the withdrawal of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

MENAFN14102025000045017169ID1110193764