Israel’s Ben-Gvir arrives in East Jerusalem to celebrate city’s occupation

By Ahmed Asmar

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday to join hundreds of illegal settlers marking Israel’s occupation of the city.

The Jerusalem-based Wadi Hilweh Information Center said the extremist minister arrived at the Al-Mugharbah Gate area ahead of storming the flashpoint site.

More than 900 illegal settlers have already forced their way into the mosque complex since early morning under police protection to mark the city’s occupation, with many performing provocative rituals in the mosque's courtyards.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the three holiest sites for Muslims around the world, and 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, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.