Israel's Ben-Gvir visits flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday, saying he was seeking greater access for Jewish worshippers and drawing condemnation from Jordan.



The compound in Jerusalem's walled Old City is one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East. Known to Jews as Temple Mount, it is the most sacred site in Judaism and is Islam's third-holiest site.



Under a delicate, decades-old arrangement with Muslim authorities, it is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation and Jews can visit but may not pray there.



Suggestions that Israel would alter the rules have sparked outrage among Muslims and ignited violence in the past.



A statement from the Jordanian foreign ministry said it considered Ben-Gvir's visit to be a violation of the status quo agreement at the site and "a desecration of its sanctity, a condemnable escalation and an unacceptable provocation".