Far-right Israeli security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, accompanied by dozens of Jewish settlers, desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem under tight police guard on Thursday morning.

According to local sources, Ben Gvir, escorted by police officers and groups of settlers, entered the Mosque through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards on the first day of the Hanukkah holiday. During their presence at the Islamic holy site, Ben Gvir and several settlers provocatively performed Talmudic prayers.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police prevented Muslim worshipers from entering their holy site during Ben Gvir’s tour and imposed movement restrictions on Palestinian citizens in and around the holy city. This act of desecration and the restrictions imposed on Muslim worshipers have sparked outrage among the Palestinian community. (ILKHA)