MOSCOW

Russia on Wednesday criticized Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's recent actions and statements regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, calling them "provocative."

Responding to an Anadolu question during a press conference in Moscow about Ben-Gvir's call to build a synagogue inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the minister's behavior as "irresponsible, dangerous in nature in conditions when relations between Muslims and Jews in Israel and Palestine are already strained to the limit."

"The unequivocally negative reaction to this initiative both in the region and globally speaks for itself," Zakharova said, emphasizing that the minister's behavior not only disrespects Muslims, including Israeli citizens but also "grossly violates the status quo of Jerusalem's holy sites" as established by international law.

"We regret to note that such statements by adherents of religious Zionism, as well as actions like the recent repeated attempts by the same Itamar Ben-Gvir and his supporters to conduct Jewish rituals inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, deserve condemnation because they are provocative," she said.

The spokeswoman warned that they contribute to the rise of radical sentiments among both Israelis and Palestinians, undermining international efforts to de-escalate military and political tensions in the Middle East, particularly amid the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip, which have claimed over 40,500 Palestinian lives in just over 10 months.

The status quo, in place since before the 1967 Israeli occupation, designates the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, under the Jordanian minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, as responsible for managing Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a place of worship for Muslims only.

However, since 2003, Israeli police have unilaterally allowed illegal Israeli settlers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on weekdays, excluding Fridays and Saturdays, without the Islamic Waqf's permission.