Jerusalem: Guards of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday prevented an attempt by ultranationalist Jews to sacrifice a lamb at the Al-Haram Al-Sharif compound in occupied Jerusalem during the Jewish Passover holiday, marking what has been described as “a dangerous precedent” violating the sanctity of one of Islam’s holiest sites.
According to Jordan News Agency, eyewitnesses reported from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank that Jewish settlers, accompanied by a lamb, attempted to enter the compound but were stopped by mosque guards. The action was met with condemnation from the Jerusalem Governorate, which labeled the attempted sacrifice as an “escalation and a dangerous development that cannot be ignored.”
The Jerusalem Governorate further warned about the repercussions of “such provocations,” highlighting the affront to Muslims’ sentiments and the violation of the site’s sanctity. The statement described the event as a “deliberate criminal attempt to impose a new status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque,” placing full responsibility on the occupation authority for “these dangerous acts,” allegedly conducted with the protection and complicity of Israeli security forces.
In a related incident on the same day, 594 settlers reportedly entered the compound under heavy escort by Israeli police, performing prayers while Muslim worshippers were denied access.