Israeli Defense Minister, extremist Itamar Ben Gvir, continues to affirm his intentions to arm settlers with the latest firearms, especially after distributing around 50,000 weapons to Israelis in the West Bank in recent days.
Additionally, there are more than 120,000 pending requests for weapons, all following the “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” on October 7th last year.
These actions raise concerns about the increasing arming of settlers, coinciding with the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, which typically sees a higher number of worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. This could lead to tensions on both sides.
Al-Azhar Observatory, affiliated with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, has warned of the danger of arming settlers, especially with Ramadan approaching.
It accuses the Zionist entity of seeking to impose its oppressive control over all occupied territories by forming armed extremist militias.
The Israeli government is accused of letting terrorist settlers wreak havoc and commit crimes, which could ultimately spark an uprising in Jerusalem and the West Bank in solidarity with Gaza.
After the aggression on Gaza, Zionist voices advocating for arming settlers grew louder. Indeed, at the end of last year, the Israeli Ministry of Security eased access to weapons, launching a campaign to encourage settlers to arm themselves.
In less than three months, tens of thousands of new weapon permits were approved for settlers in most Palestinian neighborhoods heavily policed by Israeli authorities. This is expected to turn Jerusalem and Palestinian neighborhoods into military barracks.
Al-Azhar’s statement emphasizes that any clashes between Palestinians and settlers will lead to further violations by the occupation against Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Israeli occupation will implement measures to restrict the movement of worshippers and allow more settlers to invade Al-Aqsa’s courtyards, performing Talmudic rituals.
This is part of a systematic policy aimed at controlling Al-Aqsa and constructing the alleged temple. Consequently, confrontations in Jerusalem and the West Bank may lead to an uprising during the upcoming Ramadan, under the banner of “Solidarity with Gaza” and asserting “Al-Aqsa’s inherent right for Muslims.”
