Far-Right Israeli Minister Visits Jerusalem Holy Site, Threatening Gaza Cease-Fire Talks
HuffPost
Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s far-right national security minister visited Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site on Thursday, threatening to disrupt Gaza cease-fire talks.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader, said he had gone up to the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray for the return of the hostages “but without a reckless deal, without surrendering.”
The move threatens to disrupt sensitive talks aimed at reaching a cease-fire in the 9-month-old Israel-Hamas war. Israeli negotiators landed in Cairo on Wednesday to continue talks.
The visit also came just days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves for a trip to the United States, where he will address Congress.
Ben-Gvir said while standing in front of the golden dome of Al-Aqsa Mosque that he “is praying and working hard” to ensure that Netanyahu will not give in to international pressure and will continue with the military campaign in Gaza.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke to a crowd at his compound in Tehran as Iran marked the start of a dayslong commemoration of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
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