Overview

• On August 3, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led a Jewish prayer session on the Temple Mount, breaking the non-Muslim prayer ban for the first time by a sitting Israeli minister.
• Under the post-1967 framework, Jordanian religious authorities oversee al-Aqsa’s internal affairs and prohibit non-Muslim worship while Israel handles external security.
• Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry, Pakistan’s prime minister and the Palestinian Authority branded the action an unacceptable provocation and a violation of international law.
• Hamas called the incursion a “deepening of ongoing aggressions” against Palestinians and Iran condemned it as a breach of United Nations resolutions protecting the site’s sanctity.
• Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office maintained that Israel’s policy on Temple Mount access remains unchanged despite concerns that far-right provocations could inflame regional tensions.