Israeli opposition leader calls for stripping Ben-Gvir of powers before Ramadan

JERUSALEM

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday called for stripping far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of his powers before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved Ben-Gvir's recommendations to restrict the entry of Palestinians living in Israel and Jerusalem to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, which is expected to start on March 10.

“It is impossible to go to Ramadan with such a chaotic man in charge,” Lapid said of Ben-Gvir during a speech to the Knesset (Israel’s parliament).

Ben-Gvir "is unable to maintain Israel's security," he added.

According to Israeli media, the Shin Bet domestic security service has warned that prohibiting Palestinians from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan "could lead to major disturbances."

Israel has restricted access of Palestinians into the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 following a Hamas attack.

Nearly 29,100 Palestinians have since been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara