Israeli security officials on Wednesday warned that allowing Religious Zionism MK Itamar Ben Gvir to march through Al-Quds’ Damascus Gate, as part of the so-called Flag March, could lead to a “second war with Gaza,” according to TV reports.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that during security consultations ahead of the march, the Shin Bet urged Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other Israeli leaders present to bar the far-right lawmaker from the area, calling him a “detonator” of further tensions.

Bennett indeed issued a ban on Ben Gvir, citing security considerations and fear of loss of life.

“Ben Gvir’s arrival is a detonator, and a detonator must be defused,” a Shin Bet official reportedly said during the meeting.

“These provocations could lead to further violence and a ramping up of tensions to the point of setting the whole region in flames.”

A security source told Channel 12 that the firebrand lawmaker’s actions are “playing into the hands of Hamas,” after the Palestinian Resistance group said earlier in the day that it had its “finger on the trigger” ahead of the march.

Bennett subsequently declared that Ben Gvir would be barred from the Damascus Gate area, and the marchers were also prevented from entering the Old City via that route.

Source: Israeli media