Conquer the Strip and encourage the"voluntary" emigration of Palestinians, so that Israeli settlers can also settle in Gaza. The strategy outlined by Tel Aviv's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, is very clear. A plan that is certainly not an absolute novelty in the Israeli political landscape. But it acquires even more political weight in the face of the dramatic humanitarian crisis affecting the inhabitants of the Strip: six Palestinians have died of hunger and 119 have been killed by Israeli occupation forces in the last 24 hours, 22 of whom were recipients of humanitarian aid, according to the Hamas-led Ministry of Health. But beyond the content of the message sent by the Israeli minister, the context from which he sent it is relevant: Ben Gvir, in fact, entrusted his communication to a video recorded from the Esplanade of the Mosques in Jerusalem, where he went together with a group of 3 thousand settlers : the minister prayed openly in a place where Jews are forbidden according to the agreement on the status quo between Israel and Jordan.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called Ben Gvir's behavior"an unacceptable provocation, a clear violation of international law aimed at escalation." In a statement published on X, the ministry said that only Muslim prayer is permitted on the Temple Mount – which Palestinians call the Temple Mount – home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Saudi Arabia echoed its claims, saying such"provocative actions" only "fuel conflict in the region."
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, also condemned Ben –Gvir's visit to the al-Aqsa mosque:"The red line has been crossed." While Palestinian politician Nabil Abu Rudeineh declared: "The international community, especially the US administration, is obliged to intervene immediately to put an end to the settlers' crimes and the far-right government's provocations in the al-Aqsa mosque, stop the war in the Gaza Strip and provide humanitarian aid."
In the video posted on X from the Temple Mount, Ben Gvir listed the objectives: “Conquer all of Gaza, declare sovereignty over the entire Strip, eliminate every member of Hamas and encourage voluntary emigration. This is the only way to return the hostages and win the war.” He adds that “Hamas’s horrific videos are intended to put pressure on Israel,” referring to videos of emaciated hostages Rom Braslavski and Evyatar David, both of whom were held captive, published by Hamas in recent days. Defense Minister Israel Katz also vowed to strengthen Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount site. “Israel haters around the world continue to make decisions against us and protest, and we will strengthen our hold and sovereignty over Jerusalem, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, forever,” Katz writes on X, sharing images of him visiting the Wall with IDF soldiers.
