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In notable early move, Itamar Ben-Gvir visits Temple Mount, reportedly against Netanyahu’s urging
(JTA) — Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s new far-right security minister, visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Tuesday, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly urged him to delay the visit because of security concerns.
The visit to the site, considered the holiest in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam, was treated as a provocation by the Palestinians and by the Israeli political opposition. Jordan, which considers itself a caretaker of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the site, accused Ben-Gvir of “storming” the Temple Mount, which has been a longtime flashpoint in Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
Ben-Gvir believes that a “status quo” allowing Jews to visit the site during limited periods but not to pray openly there should be changed to give Jews more access, but he reportedly adhered to the rules during his visit Tuesday.
The visit came shortly after Ben-Gvir said he would continue to visit the site after being sworn in as a high-level minister in Netanyahu’s cabinet, a breakthrough position for him and the Religious Zionist bloc he represents.
“The Temple Mount is open to everyone and if Hamas thinks that if it threatens me, it will deter me,” Ben-Gvir tweeted alongside a picture of himself with security forces. “Let them understand that times have changed.”
ממשלת ישראל שאני חבר בה לא תיכנע לארגון מרצחים שפל. הר הבית פתוח לכולם ואם החמאס חושב שאם הוא יאיים עליי זה ירתיע אותי, שיבינו שהשתנו הזמנים. יש ממשלה בירושלים! pic.twitter.com/vgDYBYacJG
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) January 3, 2023
Reports in Israeli media on Monday had initially said Ben-Gvir would delay his first visit as internal security minister, which gives him authority over Israel’s police, following the urging of Netanyahu and others.
A visit to the Temple Mount by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2000 triggered riots that became the Second Intifada, and Ben-Gvir’s eagerness to visit during periods of unease has fueled criticism of him as a “pyromanic” in Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
Yair Lapid, whom Netanyahu displaced as prime minister, had urged Ben-Gvir and others not to visit the Temple Mount, saying, “People will die” if Ben-Gvir provoked violence there.
Afterwards, the foreign ministry of Jordan, which sees itself a caretaker of the mosque, issued a statement that condemned the visit “in the strongest terms.” The Palestinian Authority called it an “unprecedented provocation.”
Officials with the United States, France and the United Kingdom all issued statements, publicly and to Israeli media, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the status quo when it comes to holy sites in Jerusalem. “It is important that all actors avoid actions at those sites that inflame tensions,” tweeted Neil Wigan, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Israel.
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US Strikes More Than 90 Iranian Military Targets on Kharg Island, CENTCOM Says
A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. Photo: 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
United States forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran on Friday night, the US Central Command said on Saturday.
“US forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said.
The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the US military said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to strike the oil infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island hub, unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
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North Korea Fires Ten Ballistic Missiles Toward the Sea of Japan
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol Ju inspect an honour guard before leaving Pyongyang for a visit to China, this January 7, 2019 photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang January 8, 2019. Photo: KCNA via REUTERS.
i24 News – North Korea fired roughly ten ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the South Korean military reported, marking a new act of defiance amid Seoul and Washington’s annual joint military exercises.
The launches, originating from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, were detected around 1:20 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The missiles were directed toward the East Sea—the Korean name for the Sea of Japan—though details on their range or trajectory were not immediately available. Earlier, the South Korean Ministry of Defense had already confirmed the launch of at least one unidentified projectile in the same area.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense also verified the incident, noting that a suspected ballistic missile had been launched from North Korea.
The launches come amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Since Monday, the United States and South Korea have been conducting their annual joint exercises, which will continue through March 19 and involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops alongside an unspecified number of U.S. forces.
Pyongyang has sharply criticized the drills, calling them a rehearsal for invasion. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned this week that the exercises could trigger “terrible and unimaginable consequences.”
The missile tests also coincide with fading prospects for inter-Korean dialogue. Kim Jong-un recently dismissed outreach efforts from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, labeling Seoul “the most hostile enemy.”
The show of force occurred just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, during a visit to the United States, mentioned a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un—a meeting Washington still considers possible.
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Dutch Authorities Investigate Explosion at Jewish School Claimed by Extremist Group
Police outside a Jewish school following an explosion that caused minor damages, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 14, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
i24 News – An explosion struck a Jewish school on Zeelandstraat in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert during the night between Friday and Saturday, Dutch authorities confirmed. Emergency responders, including police and firefighters, acted swiftly, and officials reported that the building suffered only limited damage. No injuries have been reported.
Mayor Femke Halsema described the incident as a deliberate attack against the Jewish community in the city, emphasizing that the authorities are treating the case “very seriously.” Security camera footage showing the individual who detonated the device is under investigation.
In an unverified online video, previously little-known group identifying itself as Ashab Al Yamim later claimed responsibility for the blast. The group released online footage appearing to show the small explosion followed by a fire outside the school. Its logo was also seen in videos related to an attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam earlier this week.
Dutch investigators are coordinating with the judiciary to determine the full circumstances of the attack and whether additional suspects were involved. Authorities noted that the organization had not been previously known to security services.
The explosion comes amid rising security concerns for Jewish institutions across Europe, following heightened tensions in the Middle East. The group behind the claim has also alleged responsibility for previous incidents targeting Jewish sites in Europe, including attacks in Liège, Belgium, and Rotterdam, though these claims remain unverified.
Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers across the continent have stepped up security measures in recent weeks amid fears of potential threats to Jewish communities.