Jerusalem: Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday. In a brief statement, the Jordan-run Islamic Endowment Department in Jerusalem reported that Ben-Gvir forced his way into the flashpoint site under the protection of Israeli police.

According to Anadolu Agency, this marks the eighth intrusion into the Al-Aqsa complex by Ben-Gvir since he joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in 2022. Despite widespread condemnations from Arab and Islamic nations, Ben-Gvir has repeatedly entered the compound. His most recent tour occurred on May 27, when he entered the site alongside members of the Israeli government and Knesset, as well as more than 2,000 illegal Israeli settlers, to mark Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.

The raid on Wednesday took place just one day after the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. These sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans in those countries, in response to their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinians.

Israel began allowing Israeli settlers to enter the Al-Aqsa compound in 2003, despite ongoing objections from the Islamic Endowment Department. Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.