For the first time since taking office, in a provocative move, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to a spokesman

"Our government will not give in to the threats of Hamas," Ben-Ghafir said in a statement published by his spokesman, after the Palestinian movement warned against any such steps. Ben Ghafir's visit comes days after he took over as Minister of national security, which gives him powers over the police.

In the first reactions, Jordan said it condemned "in the strongest terms" the visit of right-wing Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it condemned "in the strongest terms ... Storming the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Holy Haram al-Sharif".

For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first of the Two Qiblas and the third of the Two Holy Mosques after Mecca and the Prophet's mosque in Medina in Saudi Arabia. As for the Jews, they consider the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which they call the Temple Mount, the holiest site in their religion.

"The Temple Mount is the most important site for the people of Israel and we maintain freedom of movement for Muslims and Christians, but Jews will also go to the mountain, and those who make threats should be dealt with with an iron hand,"Ben-Gvir said.

The Islamic endowments and Endowments department administers the Al-Aqsa courtyards in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, while Israeli forces control access to the site.

Ben-Gvir demanded changes to the management of the site to allow Jewish prayers on it, which is opposed by traditional Jewish religious authorities.

Guards from the Waqf Department reported that Ben-Gvir visited the site accompanied by units of the Israeli security forces while a March flew over it.

Although Ben Ghafir has made frequent visits to the site since he entered parliament in April 2021, His presence as a senior minister carries much more significance. A controversial visit in 2000 by then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon was among the most important factors that sparked the second Palestinian intifada, which lasted until 2005.

After he left the site, visitors arrived and the situation seemed calm.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Ben-Ghafir's visit, which it considered "an unprecedented provocation and a serious threat to the conflict arena". A leader of the Islamist Hamas movement, Bassem Naim, warned in remarks last week that "if Ben-Ghafir goes as minister to Al-Aqsa, it will cross all red lines and lead to an explosion".

In turn, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem described Ben Ghafir's visit as a" crime of intrusion "and stressed that"the Al-Aqsa Mosque was and will remain an Arab-Islamic Palestinian".

Hamas runs the Gaza Strip, where an 11-day war between Palestinian factions and Israel broke out in May after violence in Al-Aqsa.

Ben-gefir rallied his supporters in the homes of Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied from the Six-Day War in 1967.