Israel's new far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir briefly visited Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Tuesday, a site also revered by Jews, angering the Palestinians and drawing a slew of condemnations.
"The Temple Mount is open to all," Ben-Gvir said on Twitter, using the Jewish name for the site. Video footage showed him strolling at the periphery of the compound, surrounded by a heavy security detail and flanked by a fellow Orthodox Jew.
Although the visit at the flashpoint site passed without incident, it risked increasing frictions with Palestinians after a surge of violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2022.
Diplomats said both the United Arab Emirates and China asked the UN Security Council to meet publicly to discuss the issue, likely on Thursday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "calls on all to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around the holy sites," U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
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