The firebrand politician was visiting the site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem after returning to the government last month following the resumption of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The compound is Islam's third holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national identity, but it is also Judaism's holiest place, revered as the site of the ancient temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
Since the formation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government at the end of 2022, Ben Gvir has visited the compound on at least eight occasions, each time triggering international outcry.
Hamas called it a “provocative and dangerous escalation”, saying the visit was “part of the ongoing genocide against our Palestinian people”.
Meanwhile, the Saudi foreign ministry expressed in a statement its “strongest condemnation” of the “storming” of the compound by Ben Gvir.
The site is administered by Jordan under the status quo, while access to it is controlled by Israeli security forces.
Ben Gvir’s spokesperson told AFP the minister “went there because the site was opened (for non-Muslims) after 13 days,“ during which access was reserved for Muslims for the festival of Eid al-Fitr and the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Influential ultra-Orthodox politician Moshe Gafni, a member of the government majority, criticised Ben Gvir’s visit on Wednesday as a “violation of the sanctity of the holiest place for the Jewish people”.
Some Jewish leaders warn against visiting the site on religious grounds.
The UN has previously denounced “any efforts to change the status quo within the holy sites”.
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