Israel’s far-right minister Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday as the Mus

Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, a provocative incursion that drew immediate condemnation from Palestinian officials and Arab governments as tensions at the holy site remain dangerously elevated.

Ben-Gvir, who heads the Otzma Yehudit party and has repeatedly used visits to the compound to assert maximalist Israeli claims over the site, entered the esplanade under heavy police escort in the early morning hours, according to witnesses on the ground and footage circulated by Palestinian news agencies. The compound, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the third holiest site in Islam and sits at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian Authority officials condemned the raid as a deliberate violation of the historic status quo governing the site, under which non-Muslim worship has long been prohibited on the compound. The Palestinian presidency described the incursion as "a provocative assault on Islamic and Christian sanctities" and called on the international community to intervene.

Jordan, which holds the custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under a 1994 peace treaty with Israel, summoned the Israeli ambassador in protest. Amman has repeatedly warned that Ben-Gvir's visits to the site undermine regional stability and violate longstanding arrangements over Jerusalem's holy places.

Qatar condemned the storming in strong terms, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterating Doha's firm rejection of any unilateral measures aimed at altering the legal or demographic status of occupied Jerusalem. Qatar has consistently supported Palestinian sovereignty over Al-Aqsa and has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian funding to Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire remains in effect.

Monday's incursion is among the latest in a series Ben-Gvir has conducted since joining the Israeli cabinet, each drawing condemnation from Arab states and warnings from Washington that such visits risk inflaming regional tensions. Critics, including within the Israeli security establishment, have repeatedly argued that his provocative presence at the site jeopardizes Israel's relationships with Jordan and other Arab partners.

The Al-Aqsa compound has been a flashpoint for recurring waves of violence, with previous periods of heightened tension at the site preceding broader escalations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The United Nations and numerous governments have urged all parties to respect the historic status quo at the site.