Gaza Factions Meet on Response to Ben-Gvir Visit to Temple Mount

Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip met Tuesday to discuss a response to the visit by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem earlier in the day. The meeting was attended by Gaza rulers Hamas, as well as representatives of Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The site, which is holy to Jews and Muslims, is overseen by a Jordanian Islamic trust. While anyone is allowed to visit the flashpoint Old City compound, only Muslims are permitted to pray there.

The visit by Ben-Gvir was seen as a provocation by the Palestinians, with Hamas warning ahead of time that it would respond.

The Israeli military said it was boosting its air defenses, including the Iron Dome, in anticipation of possible rocket fire from Gaza.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said after the visit that, “Israel bears full responsibility for all the consequences that could escalate the situation and undermine stability and security in the region.”