National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel to claim full sovereignty over Gaza on Sunday.
he said: “occupy the entire Gaza Strip and declare full sovereignty.”
Ben-Gvir, a settler from the occupied West Bank, commented during a visit to Jerusalem’s flashpoint the Al-Aqsa Mosque, adding that Palestinians should be “encouraged to emigrate voluntarily.”
His remarks are likely to fuel further claims that Israel is pursuing a policy of “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, charges the Israeli government denies. The lawmaker said the footage was being used by the Palestinian side to exert pressure on Israel.
Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, making it the third-holiest site in Islam. For Jews, it is the location of the destroyed biblical temples.
Ben-Gvir said he prayed at the site, despite a long-standing arrangement that non-Muslims are not allowed to do so.
He has visited the site in the past, calling for Jewish prayer to be allowed there, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue statements saying that this was not Israel’s policy.
