Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for a ban on Palestinians praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the upcoming month of Ramadan, which begins in about three weeks.
The far-right minister expressed his concerns on the “X” platform, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday, stating, “We cannot take the risk. Residents of the Palestinian Authority should not be allowed to enter Israeli territories during the month-long Muslim holiday, which starts in less than a month.”
Ben-Gvir further commented, “Women and children cannot be hostages in Gaza while we allow Hamas to celebrate victories at the Temple Mount,” using the Israeli term for the Al-Aqsa compound.
His post follows a day after Israeli television reported that the minister is pushing to prevent Palestinians from accessing the holy site during Ramadan, set to commence around March 10th.
As Ramadan approaches, the Gaza conflict shows no signs of abating, with Israel adamant about a ground invasion of Rafah. This operation, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could take several months, further escalating tensions in the region.
