For the First Time.. The Speaker of the U.S. House Storms the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron

SadaNews: The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, stormed the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, marking a first-of-its-kind event for someone in this position, according to the occupation army radio as translated by SadaNews.

According to Axios, Johnson visited the settlement of Ariel in the West Bank on Monday as part of a special program organized by a pro-Israel advocacy group.

The site noted that Johnson met during his visit with senior members of the regional council for the settlements and addressed the heads of those councils saying, "The West Bank is the frontline for the State of Israel, and it must be an integral part of it, even if the world thinks otherwise, we support you."

Although many Republican members of Congress have visited West Bank settlements, the visit by the Speaker of the House is considered highly unusual, according to Axios.

For his part, American-Israeli Republican activist Mark Zeil stated that "Johnson is the highest-ranking American official to visit West Bank settlements." He also quoted Johnson saying, "The region is rightful property of the Jewish people."

The site reported Israeli officials as saying that Johnson's visit to Israel is expected to be unusually long, with him scheduled to depart on August 10.

Informed officials indicated that the trip was organized by Heather Johnston, founder of the "American Society for Israeli Education," a conservative pro-Israel advocacy group.

According to Israeli officials, "It is expected that Johnson and his delegation will travel to Gaza and visit the aid centers of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) supported by the U.S. and Israel. They will also meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog."

This visit comes amid a serious escalation in the series of violations perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, their land, and holy sites. The Israeli newspaper "Israel Hayom" reported that "the Israeli civil administration transferred the powers of managing and supervising the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Hebron municipality to the religious council affiliated with the Kiryat Arba settlement," considering this step as "great news for settlement" and "an unprecedented move that will bring about significant changes in the status quo" at the mosque, and "will push towards implementing structural modifications in the place," including re-roofing the mosque.