Ammon News - The Israeli Occupation's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir has ordered security forces to carry out demolition of Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem during Ramadan, according to Israeli media reports.

Mr Ben-Gvir's call would go against a decision taken several years ago to prevent tensions during a time that is already prone to violence.

The minister's inflammatory rhetoric comes as many in the government are trying to ease tensions, following a deadly spike in violence between Palestinians and Israelis.

The order coincides with Mr Ben Gvir's attempt to pressure on the rest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to launch an antiterror campaign that he has called “Defensive Shield Two”.

The term is a reference to the 2002 Operation Defensive Shield, which was launched to end Palestinian terror attacks during the Second Intifada.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Mr Ben-Gvir's Ramadan demolitions would further inflame already high tensions. “We condemn the statements of the fascist Ben-Gvir, who is inciting and working to set the area on fire,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The words of the colonialist and racist minister incite escalation, in light of his boasting about the demolition of the homes of Palestinian citizens in Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan.”

Last week, settlers rampaged through the Palestinian town of Hawara burning businesses and homes in response to the killing of two Israeli settlers. One Palestinian was killed and dozens were injured.

Mr Ben-Gvir has frequently pushed for a harsher Israeli response to Palestinian crime and terrorism, often against the recommendations of Israeli security officials.

He recently ordered the closure of prisoner-run bakeries for Palestinians in Israeli prisons, saying: “How can they get fresh bread every day? What is this absurdity?”

He later released a video of him eating bread in his office, saying: “Terrorists should receive freshly baked goods. I hope that what we have done is only the beginning of the beginning to stop the [summer] camps in prisons.

He also ordered limiting the time Palestinian prisoners can shower to four minutes.