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An ultranationalist Israeli cupboard minister has visited a flashpoint Jerusalem holy web site for the primary time since taking workplace in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right authorities final week.
The go to is seen by Palestinians as a provocation.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Palestinian Well being Ministry mentioned a 15-year-old boy was killed by Israeli military fireplace close to the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Bethlehem.
The Israeli army didn’t instantly touch upon the incident.
In Jerusalem, Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the positioning identified to Jews because the Temple Mount and to Muslims because the Noble Sanctuary flanked by a big contingent of cops.
Mr Ben-Gvir has lengthy known as for higher Jewish entry to the holy web site, which is considered by Palestinians as provocative and as a possible precursor to Israel taking full management over the compound.
Most rabbis forbid Jews from praying on the positioning, however there was a rising motion lately of Jews who help worship there.
The location has been the scene of frequent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli safety forces, most just lately in April final yr.
Mr Ben-Gvir’s acknowledged intention of visiting the positioning earlier this week drew threats from the Islamic militant group Hamas.
Mr Ben-Gvir wrote on Twitter after his go to that the positioning “is open to all and if Hamas thinks that if it threatens me it would deter me, they need to perceive that instances have modified”.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem mentioned that Mr Ben-Gvir getting into the positioning on Tuesday was “a continuation of the Zionist’s occupation aggression on our sacred locations and warfare on our Arab id”.
“Our Palestinian individuals will proceed defending their holy locations and Al-Aqsa mosque,” he mentioned.
Ofir Gendelman, who has lengthy served as Mr Netanyahu’s Arabic-language spokesman, launched a video displaying that the “scenario is totally calm” on the holy web site following Mr Ben-Gvir’s departure.
The hilltop shrine is the third holiest web site in Islam and an emotional image for the Palestinians.
It sits on a sprawling esplanade that can also be the holiest web site for Jews, who name it the Temple Mount as a result of it was the situation of two Jewish temples in antiquity.
The competing claims to the positioning lie on the coronary heart of the Israeli-Palestinian battle and have sparked quite a few rounds of violence up to now.
Mr Ben-Gvir is head of the ultranationalist spiritual Jewish Energy faction and has a historical past of inflammatory remarks and actions towards Palestinians.
His go to got here following months of mounting tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
On Monday, the Israeli rights group B’Tselem mentioned 2022 was the deadliest yr for Palestinians since 2004, a interval of intense violence that got here throughout a Palestinian rebellion.
It mentioned practically 150 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fireplace within the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem.
The Israeli army has been conducting near-daily raids into Palestinian cities and cities since a spate of Palestinian assaults towards Israelis killed 19 final spring.
A recent wave of assaults killed a minimum of one other 9 Israelis within the fall.
The Israeli military says a lot of the Palestinians killed have been militants. However stone-throwing youths protesting in regards to the incursions and others not concerned in confrontations have additionally been killed.
-AP
