Contrary to what Palestinians in Gaza hope would be a calm new year, the provocative entry of the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir into the Al-Aqsa Mosque may force a military response from the besieged coastal enclave. Earlier on 3 January, the far-right politician, who will oversee the police in the new Israeli government, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, under the protection of Israeli security forces, in occupied Jerusalem. The mosque is considered one of the holiest sites for Palestinians and Muslims. The visit of the leader of an ultranationalist Jewish Power party,…