During his first visit to the highly contested holy site of Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, known for his far-right views, forcefully condemned several European nations for extending diplomatic recognition to a future Palestinian state. Flanked by security forces, Ben Gvir released a video message on X, denouncing the moves by Norway, Spain, and Ireland as tantamount to "rewarding Hamas' Nukhba murderers and terrorists."
עליתי הבוקר להר הבית, המקום הקדוש ביותר לעם ישראל וששייך רק למדינת ישראל, שם הבהרתי בצורה ברורה: המדינות שהכירו הבוקר במדינה פלסטינית רוצות לתת פרס לחוטפי התצפיתניות ולרבבות תומכיהם בעזה - אנחנו לא נאפשר אף כניעה שתכלול אפילו הצהרה על מדינה פלסטינית.
את חמאס חייבים להשמיד השמדה… pic.twitter.com/KxwHFcfcoA
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 22, 2024
He was referring to the terrorist group's elite force, which orchestrated a deadly attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that left 1,200 people killed and 252 more taken hostage, of which 128 are still held captive. With footage of female hostages expected to be released this evening, Ben Gvir stated "Tonight we will receive further proof of why Hamas must be completely destroyed."
To accomplish this, the minister advocated for an intensive military campaign "going into Rafah until the absolute end, conducting a root canal operation," while also calling to cut off fuel to Gaza and severely restrict humanitarian aid flowing into the territory.
In response, the terrorist organization Hamas lamented that Minister Ben Gvir is inflaming tensions, having said that "The Minister's incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque is an aggressive act that pours fuel on the fire."
The flashpoint Temple Mount compound – known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif – in Jerusalem's Old City holds immense significance, being Judaism's holiest site and the third-holiest in Islam, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
