The head of Hezbollah warns that altering the status quo at Al-Aqsa could destabilise the area

• Sulaiman
• . January 4, 2023
• . Update: January 4, 2023 9:20 pm
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Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanon’s armed Hezbollah movement, warned that any disruption of the long-standing peace at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem might set off an explosion throughout the region, not just in Palestinian lands.

After Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s new far-right minister of national security, visited the shrine earlier in the day, which is revered by both Muslims and Jews, Nasrallah made his remarks.

An official in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed the leader was firmly committed to the status quo, which permits solely Muslim worship at the site, in an apparent effort to allay anger about the visit.

On Tuesday, the United States expressed worry over a far-right minister’s visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which is revered by both Jews and Muslims, and issued a strong warning against any alteration in the status quo.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “The United States stands firmly… for maintenance of the status quo with respect to sacred sites in Jerusalem.”

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Any independent move that endangers the current situation is unacceptable. The visit of Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has a history of making inflammatory statements and was given a crucial security position in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most recent government, caused the United States to express “deep concern,” according to a separate statement from State Department spokesman Ned Price.

The visit, which was roundly denounced in the Islamic world, “has the potential to escalate tensions and to instigate violence,” Price added.

According to Price, the United States and members of the prime minister’s office “had direct contacts today regarding this visit.”