Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been condemned for a "provocative" visit to a holy site on an important Jewish holiday.
In the Old City of Jerusalem, he visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, otherwise known as the Temple Mount, home to some of the world's holiest sites.
It was one of several visits he has made to the site in the middle of the Gaza War, and one which could serve to further increase tensions between Israel and its Muslim neighbours.
The move crosses religious, political and legal thresholds at a particularly sensitive time for the region.
What is the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque?
The compound sits on top of a hill in Jerusalem's Old City, and is one of the holiest sites for both Jews and Muslims.
Jews believe the compound is where two Jewish temples once stood before being destroyed, the second nearly 2,000 years ago.
The temple's Western Wall is considered to be all that remains, and is one of the most significant places of prayer for Jewish people.
The Muslim faith also venerates the site, which is known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) in Arabic.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the three major sites in Islam, and was built there almost 1,500 years ago.
At the centre of the Al-Aqsa compound sits the Dome of the Rock, its gleaming golden roof one of Jerusalem's most recognisable landmarks.
It was built on the spot where Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.
The site is not only of religious significance.
It has also become an important part of Israeli and Palestinian national identities, and a "linchpin" of the Israel-Palestine conflict, according to Carlo Aldrovandi, a researcher who has been studying the region for 20 years.
"[The site] is an eco chamber of the large dispute, and it also has transnational ramification from the Muslim perspective, because it's extremely important, not only for Palestinian Muslims but for Muslims worldwide," Dr Aldrovandi said.
What are the rules for visiting?
The complicated history of Jerusalem over many thousands of years and the fighting between Israel and Palestinians over the last century have led to the acceptance of a unique arrangement referred to as the "Status Quo".
Dr Aldrovandi explained it has existed in some form since the Ottoman empire.
Details are not written down and the "Status Quo" has been adapted to the political climate, with the most recent re-affirmation taking place in 2015.
Because Muslim places of worship sit on top of the site, it is managed by an organisation known as the Jerusalem Waqf — a group of custodians appointed by the government of neighbouring Jordan.
But the Israeli government controls all of Jerusalem, and Israeli police and security forces manage access to the site.
Non-Muslims are only allowed to enter the Temple Mount through one gate.
While access to the site for Muslims through other entrances is meant to be unrestricted — it can be — and often is — limited when Israeli authorities perceive security threats.
Non-Muslims are not allowed to pray within the confines of the Al-Aqsa compound, and those who do are kicked out.
Israeli law and government policies are meant to ensure the Temple Mount remains a place of worship for Muslims, and many Jews generally avoid entering the precinct.
For Orthodox Jews, it is considered too sacred of a site to enter.
But in recent years, these arrangements have been eroding, Dr Aldrovandi said.
Why is Ben-Gvir's visit noteworthy?
He has done it before, and he will likely do it again — but Mr Ben-Gvir's latest visit to the Temple Mount is more controversial than usual for a number of reasons.
The visit was timed with the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, which is a day of mourning for the destruction of the original Jewish temples.
But Mr Ben-Gvir's motives go beyond just observing the holiday; he wants Jews to be given permission to pray at the site.
"There is very significant progress here in the governance, in the sovereignty," he claimed as he walked through the compound on Tuesday.
"As I have said, our policy is to enable prayer."
The ultra nationalist politician was joined by more than 2,000 Jews when entering the site on Tuesday morning, walking through the compound chanting "the people of Israel live".
Dr Aldrovandi says the religious right of the Israeli government "have a strategic goal to make the Temple Mount fully Jewish".
He explains it's because the "Temple Mount is strongly connected to full Jewish sovereignty over the land", including the "resettlement of Gaza, and Jewish sovereignty on the West Bank".
And the erosion of the "Status Quo" has led to more "Jewish pilgrims, Temple Mount activists going there for nationalist and spiritual reasons, but praying openly with the Israeli police forces escorting them, praying with them or allowing them to pray," he said.
These visits are viewed as a provocation, and often lead to violent clashes, but this time it comes at a precarious time for the region where tensions are already high.
With Israel facing the threat of a reprisal attack from Iran and Iranian backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, his decision to enter the site could unsettle the delicate arrangements in place.
"Palestinians fear losing Al-Aqsa," Dr Aldrovandi says.
"Al-Aqsa is the last line of defence, after that they have lost everything and they will fight tooth and nail to defend Al-Aqsa."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office — recognising the sensitivities — was quick to distance itself from Mr Ben-Gvir's stance, denying there would be any change to the rules banning Jewish prayer at the site.
"There is no private policy of any minister on the Temple Mount — neither the minister of national security nor any other minister," a statement said.
What has been the response?
Swift and severe.
The Palestinian Authority described it as a "provocation" and called on the United States to effectively pull Israel into line "if it wants to prevent the region from exploding in an uncontrollable manner".
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned the "storming" of the complex by the "extremist ministers".
"[It is] a flagrant violation of international law and the historical and legal situation existing in Jerusalem and its holy sites, and which reflects the insistence of the Israeli government and its extremist members to flout international laws and Israel's obligations as the occupying power," it said in a statement in Arabic.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken opposed the visit, saying it "demonstrated blatant disregard for the historic Status Quo", and called on Israel to stop it happening again.
"These provocative actions only exacerbate tensions at a pivotal moment when all focus should be on the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of all hostages," he said.
Members of the Israeli Knesset were also quick to condemn the move.
Centrist Israeli minister Benny Gantz called for Mr Ben-Gvir to be stripped of his official powers, saying he defied the prime minister and endangered the state.
"You don't trust your partner and they don't trust you," he said in a statement.
Moshe Gafni, head of United Torah Judaism, one of the religious parties in the government, also criticised Mr Ben-Gvir.
"The damage it causes to the Jewish people is unbearable, and it also causes unfounded hatred on the day of the destruction of the Temple," he said in a statement.
