JERUSALEM, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Thursday, urging to press ahead with the war against Hamas in Gaza "until victory."
In a video statement with the golden dome in the background, Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the return of hostages held in Gaza "but without a reckless deal."
He emphasized that Israel should bring the hostages back home "not by surrendering," advocating for "increased military pressure on Hamas and cutting off their fuel supplies."
Ben-Gvir has been pressuring Netanyahu to continue the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza-based health authorities.
It is Ben-Gvir's second visit to the flashpoint site, known to Jews as Temple Mount, since the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. He visited the site in May to protest countries unilaterally recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Israel's Interior Minister Moshe Arbel condemned the visit as a provocation and an act of "trolling."
The visit, coming a day after an Israeli delegation traveled to Cairo to continue the Gaza-ceasefire talks, was widely perceived in Israeli media as threatening efforts to achieve a deal. ■
