Jordan summons Israeli ambassador to protest Ben-Gvir's Al-Aqsa visit

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – Jordan on Tuesday summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest a visit by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said the Israeli envoy was handed a letter of protest over Ben-Gvir's visit "to be delivered immediately to his government."

According to the state news agency Petra, the letter demanded "Israel, the occupying power, adhere to its obligations under international law and the international humanitarian law towards the occupied city of Jerusalem and its sanctities, especially the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque."

It also warned that the ongoing violations and attacks on holy sites "would lead to further escalation as they represent a dangerous path and must stop immediately."

Tension escalated earlier Tuesday after the far-right Israeli official visited the Al-Aqsa complex despite warnings of unrest.

Amman earlier strongly condemned Ben-Gvir’s visit, describing it as a “provocation.”

Jordan has been the official custodian of Muslim and Christian holy places in Jerusalem since 1924, and was publicly acclaimed as the custodian of Jerusalem's holy sites.

Jordan has held on to the Ottoman-era status quo agreement, which notably states that while non-Muslims are allowed to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, they cannot worship or pray at the site.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying 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.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar