Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli minister of national security, made a controversial appearance to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a sensitive religious site in Jerusalem’s Old City. Previous bouts of Israel-Palestine conflict have been stoked by sensitivities around the location in East Jerusalem. The delicate negotiations aimed at achieving a truce in the ten-month bombardment of Gaza might be jeopardized by Ben-Gvir’s visit.
The appearance was denounced by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry as an alarming trespass that jeopardized the precarious status quo around the Jerusalem site. The mosque is located in the Al-Aqsa compound, which is regarded by Muslims as the sacred place on earth. Jewish community also hold this location in high regard with a long religious and historical background.
Currently, non-Muslims are allowed to drop by the location but are not allowed to worship. But more and more Jewish tourists are breaking the prohibition, which the Palestinians view as provocative. They think Israel wants to seize control of the location. Ben-Gvir claimed he visited the location in prayer for the release of Israeli prisoners, but without making a hasty agreement or providing privileges to Hamas or Palestinian people.
Ben-Gvir’s action, according to Hamas, was a risky provocation. It demanded that the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation take decisive steps to end these systematic violations of the sacred place.
Peace diplomats of Israel arrived in Egyptian capital a day earlier to resume the ceasefire negotiations. It is while the talks seem to have broken down when a top Hamas leader stated that the organization was pulling out of the negotiations. The stance was in response to the most recent Israeli assaults on Gaza, but it was prepared to reverse course if necessary.
Ben-Gvir Foil Peace Efforts
The senior head of Hamas, has charged that Israel intentionally hinders discussions for a ceasefire and agreement to free the prisoners because it is opposed to the termination of the war. According to Palestinian officials, Israeli military assault in central Gaza has killed over 50 Palestinian civilians in just one day. The onslaught is still ongoing.
Over 500 civilians have died in the last ten days as a result of the heavy Israeli air assault on the city’s center. That is probably a modest estimate. Taking into account everyone who is absent, the number is likely considerably higher.
Israeli Prime Minister paid an unexpected visit to soldiers in the vicinity of Rafah as Israeli soldiers were still attacking Gaza. Netanyahu informed the soldiers that the combination of military action and his persistence on achieving the freedom of the dozens of prisoners who were still being detained in Gaza was having an impact.
The assault against Israel last year, spearheaded by Hamas, resulted in the capture of about 250 Israeli individuals. Israeli sources put the number of deaths at least at 1,139. Palestinian authorities estimate that Israel’s following attack on the enclave has resulted in about 39,000 deaths and 90,000 injuries.
