Arab World Erupts in Fury as Ben-Gvir Storms Al-Aqsa

(MENAFN) Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ignited a fresh wave of regional outrage Monday after entering the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, drawing swift and sharp condemnation from Arab governments and Palestinian factions alike.

Jerusalem's Islamic Endowments Directorate confirmed that Ben-Gvir accessed the mosque grounds via the Moroccan Gate, proceeding to walk through its courtyards — a move that drew immediate international backlash.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry denounced the act as "a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a provocation to Muslims around the world," reaffirming its opposition to any moves that would alter the historical or legal standing of Al-Aqsa. Doha urged the international community to actively confront what it characterized as Israel's repeated violations in Jerusalem.

Amman echoed that condemnation, labeling the incursion "a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law" and an intolerable affront to the sanctity of the holy site. Jordan's Foreign Ministry further accused Israel, "as the occupying power in occupied Jerusalem," of pursuing a deliberate strategy to impose a temporal and spatial division of the compound, while also condemning the continued lockout of Muslim worshippers from the site.

Palestine's Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs called the storming a "blatant assault," noting it unfolded even as Israeli authorities maintain a ban on Muslim access to the mosque. The ministry characterized the pattern of incursions by members of Israel's far-right government as "an assault on a religious site belonging exclusively to Muslims," and issued an urgent call for Arab, Islamic, and international intervention.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas described Ben-Gvir's latest move as a demonstration of Israel's intent to enforce a Judaization policy and seize full control over the compound. Hamas leader Abdul Rahman Shadid stated that the storming — occurring while Al-Aqsa has been barred to Muslims for over a month — represented "the most dangerous organized occupation policy" targeting the site.

Israeli authorities extended the closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre into a 38th consecutive day, invoking the "state of emergency" declared since the launch of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran on Feb. 28.

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