Wed Oct 08 16:27:25 UTC 2025: **Here’s a summary of the provided text:**
On October 8, 2025, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. This visit, Ben Gvir’s eleventh as Minister, took place amidst indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt regarding the ongoing Gaza war. The visit sparked condemnation from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, who viewed it as a provocative act violating the sanctity of the site and the established status quo. Ben Gvir, in a video statement, referenced the second anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attack and expressed his desire for a “complete victory” over Hamas in Gaza. The Waqf reported that 1,300 “extremist Jews” entered the compound that day.
**Here’s a rewritten version as a news article for *The Hindu*:**
**Al-Aqsa Visit by Israeli Minister Sparks Outrage Amid Gaza War Talks**
**Jerusalem, October 8, 2025:** Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem today has drawn sharp condemnation from Palestinian groups and regional powers, threatening to undermine ongoing indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the two-year Gaza war.
Ben Gvir’s visit, his eleventh as Minister to the contested site, coincided with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and the second anniversary of the Hamas attack that triggered the current conflict. The Al-Aqsa compound is a flashpoint, revered as Islam’s third holiest site and Judaism’s holiest place, believed to be the location of the first and second Jewish temples.
The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry labeled Ben Gvir’s actions as “criminal and provocative,” while Hamas described the visit as a “deliberate provocation” violating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa. Jordan and Saudi Arabia have also issued strong condemnations, accusing Israel of violating the established status quo, which prohibits non-Muslim prayer on the site.
Videos circulating on social media showed Ben Gvir walking through the compound accompanied by religious Jews singing liturgical songs. The Waqf, the Jordanian custodian of the site, reported that approximately 1,300 “extremist Jews” entered the compound today.
Speaking from the esplanade, Ben Gvir referenced the 2023 Hamas attack and reiterated his call for a “complete victory” over Hamas in Gaza. He has previously threatened to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government if Hamas is not destroyed.
The visit occurs as Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Egypt, raising concerns that the minister’s actions could derail the fragile peace process. The timing is particularly sensitive, coinciding with the anniversary of deadly clashes at the site in 1990, in which at least 15 Palestinians were killed.
The situation highlights the continued volatility of the region and the challenges in achieving a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
First Piper 