New Delhi, March 10 -- Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday cleared personal firearms licenses for residents of 41 Jerusalem neighbourhoods, making more than 300,000 Jewish people in the holy city eligible to obtain a gun amid the ongoing war with Iran.

According to a report by The Times of Israel, the move essentially counts as a blanket eligibility for a gun licence for all residents of Jerusalem, regardless of whether they are, or have been, a member of Israel's security forces.

"Precisely in the shadow of the war and during Ramadan, Jerusalem residents have a basic right to defend themselves and their families," said the minister, calling on Jerusalem residents to obtain a gun licence.

"Firearms in the hand...