Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (far left) arrives at Al-Aqsa Mosque on August 13. (Source: Times of Israel)

The Al-Aqsa Mosque complex is located in East Jerusalem, a territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and illegally annexed later. According to long-standing convention, Jews are allowed to visit the temple but not pray there.

Mr. Ben Gvir's arrival in the area is believed to spark new conflicts, as the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip has not yet ended.

AFP news agency reported that, following Minister Ben Gvir's move, on the same day, the US State Department accused this far-right official in the Israeli government of harming negotiation efforts towards a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking to the press, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel stated: "The United States firmly supports the protection of the historical status quo regarding Jerusalem's holy sites and any unilateral action... that endangers such a status quo is unacceptable."

The US even believes that this action reduces Washington's role in promoting negotiations to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip at a "vital moment".

Following Mr. Patel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also made a statement with harsh words, saying that Mr. Ben Gvir had shown "blatant disregard" for the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Times of Israel reported that Secretary of State Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent further “provocations” following the incident, stating: “We will rely on the Israeli government to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

Sharing the same view with the US, the United Nations (UN) also condemned Mr. Ben Gvir's actions, assessing this move as "overly provocative".

“We reject any attempt to change the status quo inside holy sites,” said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. “Like other holy sites in Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque… should be managed by the religious organizations responsible for those sites.”

From Paris, the French Foreign Ministry criticized Minister Ben Gvir's prayer as an unacceptable "provocation" and urged Israel to respect the status quo at the third holiest site for Muslims.

Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt also strongly condemned Mr. Ben Gvir's trip on the same day, considering it a provocative act and a blatant violation of international law.

The three countries warned that such violations could undermine ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.