The United Nations on Tuesday denounced Israel's far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir for leading prayers at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, calling the move "unduly provocative."

"We are against any efforts to change the status quo within the holy sites," said deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. 

"Al-Aqsa mosque, like the other holy sites in Jerusalem, should be left to themselves and should be controlled by the existing religious authorities for the sites. This sort of behavior is unhelpful and it is unduly provocative."

The European Union also condemend the move.

"The EU strongly condemns the provocations by Israeli Min. Ben Gvir who, during his visit to the Holy Sites, advocated for the violation of the status quo," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X.

The United States criticized Israel's far-right national security minister move, saying he had hurt efforts for talks toward a Gaza ceasefire.

"The United States stands firmly for preservation of the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites of Jerusalem and any unilateral action, which this would be..., that jeopardizes such a status quo is unacceptable," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

"Not only is it unacceptable, it detracts from what we think is a vital time, as we are working to get this ceasefire deal across the finish line," he said, referring to a US-led push for talks Thursday to stop the Israeli war on Gaza.

France's foreign ministry Tuesday condemned Israel's Itamar Ben Gvir for defying a longstanding ban on Jewish prayer at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem, calling it an unacceptable "provocation".

Urging Israel to respect the status quo at Islam's third-holiest site, also Judaism's holiest place, the ministry statement said: "This new provocation is unacceptable."

On Tuesday morning, Ben Gvir and some 2,250 other Israelis walked through the compound in groups, singing Jewish hymns, under the protection of Israeli police, an official from the Waqf, the Jordanian body that is custodian of the site, told AFP.