Nasrallah: Iran-backed militias will 'prevent attacks' on al-Aqsa

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned that armed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the Palestinian territories would "prevent attacks" on al-Aqsa Mosque, during a speech on Tuesday afternoon.

Nasrallah referenced recent incidents of Qurans being burned in Sweden, complaining that the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation did not react strongly enough. The Hezbollah leader additionally repeated a claim that the person burning the Quran was "a Mossad spy."

"If the rulers of the countries of the Islamic world do not have the zeal and courage to defend their sanctities and their Quran, will they have the courage to defend us, you, our land, our country, Lebanon, and even Al-Aqsa Mosque?" questioned the Hezbollah leader, calling on Muslim youth to respond on their own initiative to the buring of the Quran.

"We say to the Palestinian people, if they behave like this with the Qur’an, then how about if the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque happened? You will only hear statements of disapproval from them," added Nasrallah. "Bet on yourselves, on your fists and blood, and on those who stand with you in the axis of resistance (a term used to refer to the various armed groups backed by Iran throughout the region)."

"When we waited for states, our peoples failed, but when the people rose up, they reached victories, and we bet on our people," continued Nasrallah. "The one who will protect Al-Aqsa Mosque are the guns of the believers and their readiness in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, and Iraq to defend this holy place, which we will not allow thieves to harm from near or far."

Nasrallah additionally referred to ongoing clashes taking place between Fatah and an Islamist group in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, calling the situation "painful, sad, and unfortunate" and calling on anyone who can to work to stop the fighting as quickly as possible.

Nasrallah did not reference ongoing tensions with Israel along the Lebanese-Israeli border in his speech on Tuesday.

Tensions rise around Temple Mount, al-Aqsa Mosque

Nasrallah's speech came shortly after a Palestinian terrorist shot and wounded six Israelis in the city of Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank on Tuesday afternoon.

Palestinian terrorist groups linked the attack to escalating tensions surrounding the Temple Mount and al-Aqsa Mosque.

On Tisha Be'Av, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked outrage from Palestinians and from leaders in the region after visiting the Temple Mount for the third time since he took office. Additionally, nearly 2,000 Jews visited the Temple Mount on Tisha Be'Av this year.

In addition, a report by N12 earlier this week noted that government funds were being used to help a project to breed red heifers that could be used for the ritual purification of those who have touched a dead body. The report sparked outrage in Palestinian media.

Last year, five red heifers were imported to Israel from a ranch in Texas by Temple Mount activists and organizations. N12 stressed in its report earlier this week that the Agriculture Ministry gave special permits for the import of the heifers and Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry director-general Netanel Isaac was at the airport to greet the cows when they arrived. The report noted that within the next five months, the heifers will become eligible to be slaughtered and burnt to create the ashes needed for the ritual purification process.

In the modern day, all Jews, including kohanim, are assumed to be impure with the impurity imparted by a corpse. While in everyday life in the modern day, this status does not have much of a practical effect, those impure with this type of impurity are prohibited from entering the Temple.

Kohanim impure with this type of impurity are thereby prevented from conducting the services required in the Temple and would need to be purified with the ashes of a red heifer before being able to serve again, making the creation of such ashes a necessary requirement for any attempt to reestablish the Temple in Jerusalem. (One exception is the Pascal sacrifice, which can be offered even by those who are impure with the impurity imparted by a corpse, as long as the majority of the Jewish people are impure with this type of impurity)