Ben-Gvir renews threat to demolish tomb of Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has renewed his threat to demolish the tomb of Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, located in the village of Sheikh near Haifa in northern Israel, escalating tensions around the historic Islamic cemetery.

In a video published on his Telegram channel on Thursday, Ben-Gvir appeared overseeing the removal of a tent erected by the Islamic Waqf Committee near the tomb. During the footage, the far-right minister described the site as an “incitement display” and framed the move as an assertion of Israeli control.

“This is our land, the land of Israel,” Ben-Gvir said. “This is a first and important step to remove the incitement display called the tomb of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam from here.”

He added that the action represented the imposition of “order and sovereignty”, praising Israeli law-enforcement agencies for carrying it out.

In a separate post on the social media platform X, Ben-Gvir went further, stating that “the tomb of the prominent terrorist Izz ad-Din al-Qassam must be demolished”. He noted that the removal of the tent earlier this week constituted “the first step”.

The Loyalty and Reform Party confirmed on Wednesday that large numbers of Israeli police had dismantled the tent at the al-Qassam tomb despite adverse weather conditions. The party said officers also removed a historical sign marking the tomb and a solar-powered unit, citing a demolition order.

In a statement, the party warned that Israeli institutions were working in concert to erase what remains of the cemetery. It noted that some Israeli politicians had openly threatened to remove al-Qassam’s grave, where he was buried before the 1948 Nakba after being killed during the Palestinian struggle against British colonial rule.

The party condemned the actions as part of a broader campaign targeting Arab and Palestinian heritage sites, calling for a unified response to what it described as an escalating assault on Islamic and Palestinian landmarks.

Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, born in 1883 in Jableh on Syria’s coast, is regarded as a key figure in Palestinian resistance history. His grave lies in an Islamic cemetery on land belonging to the depopulated village of Sheikh, which was destroyed during the events surrounding Israel’s establishment.

Ben-Gvir has repeatedly called for the tomb’s demolition in previous statements, drawing criticism from Palestinian parties and human rights advocates who view the threats as an attack on historical memory and religious heritage.