After the prayers on the Mount, near the Al Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Israel’s policy of maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change,”
"I bless the thousands ascending to the Temple Mount for Tisha B'Av," said Rabbi Shimshon Elboin, the head of the Temple Mount Administration activist organization. "You are part of the redemption process of the holy mount, and your ascents advance the return of the Temple. Through your actions, the people of Israel make progress on the Temple Mount."
Ben-Gvir, speaking from the Temple Mount, addressed the release of disturbing videos by Gazan terrorist groups of emaciated Israeli hostages. He described the footage as part of Hamas’s ongoing efforts “to create pressure on the State of Israel.” He emphasized that the Temple Mount itself served as evidence that “sovereignty and governance are possible.”
“Precisely from here, a message must be sent,” Ben-Gvir asserted, outlining his prescription for responding to Hamas. He called for Israel to “conquer all of the Gaza Strip, declare sovereignty over the entire Gaza Strip, take down every Hamas member, and encourage voluntary migration.” According to Ben-Gvir, only by taking these steps could Israel hope to secure the release of hostages and achieve victory in the current conflict.
Thousands had already gathered at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem on Saturday evening to mark the start of Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av)—a day when Jews mourn the destruction of both ancient Temples that once stood on the Temple Mount in Israel's capital, considered the holiest site in Judaism. It is a day of fasting and lamentation.
Under the current government, the Temple Mount has seen a surge in Jewish visits and open worship, especially on important holidays such as Tisha B'Av.
