Ben Gvir leads 1,300 Israelis in Al-Aqsa Mosque incursion

Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir led hundreds of ultra-nationalists in a raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday, the second day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. 

Under the protection of heavily armed forces, the minister of national security took part in religious rituals alongside many others.

The raid - along with the performance of prayers in the mosque’s courtyards - violates the long-standing status quo.

This set of rules, recognised internationally and upheld by world powers, designates Al-Aqsa Mosque as an exclusively Islamic site, where only Muslims are permitted to worship.

In a post on his X account, Ben Gvir claimed that Israelis are "winning on the Temple Mount" - the Jewish term for the raised plateau on which Al-Aqsa Mosque stands.

“We are the owners of the house on the Temple Mount. I only pray that our Prime Minister will allow a full victory in Gaza as well - to destroy Hamas, God willing, to return the hostages, and we will achieve an absolute victory,” he added.

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