Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir near Al-Aqsa Mosque (Israeli press)

The Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, demanded - on Sunday evening - that the Jews be allowed to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque during the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan, according to a Hebrew channel.

Channel 13 (private) said that Ben Gvir (a right-wing extremist) demanded that the Jews be allowed to storm Al-Aqsa during the last ten days of Ramadan, contrary to the policy that has existed for years to prevent raids during that period, in order to prevent the situation from erupting.

According to the channel, Ben Gvir informed security officials in Israel of his request, and a discussion about it is expected to take place within the Council of Ministers during the next two weeks.

Against the backdrop of increased warnings of attacks during the month of Ramadan, Israeli officials expressed to the channel their concern about Ben Gvir’s demand, warning that changing the status quo would lead to more unrest.

According to Anatolia Agency, no comment had been issued by the Israeli government in this regard until midnight, noting that Ben Gvir had repeatedly tried to obstruct the arrival of Palestinian worshipers from the occupied West Bank to Al-Aqsa Mosque, or limit their numbers.

Although the Israeli police impose restrictions on the entry of worshipers to Al-Aqsa, tens of thousands of Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem and the interior (the territories occupied in 1948) perform Tarawih prayers in the mosque.

Israeli restrictions

As for worshipers from areas of the West Bank, restrictions are being imposed on them, as they are only allowed to enter Jerusalem to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque, if they possess valid magnetic security permits, and in light of an assessment of the security conditions, according to a previous statement by the Israeli police.

The holy month of Ramadan this year came at a time when, since October 7, 2023, Israel has continued to wage a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving tens of thousands of civilian casualties, most of them children and women, and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to Palestinian and UN data.

Israel insists on continuing the war, despite its appearance, for the first time since its establishment on the land of Palestine in 1948, before the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body in the United Nations, on charges of committing genocide crimes against the Palestinians.

Source: Anadolu Agency