Animal sacrifices at Al-Aqsa Mosque... Settlers bring a goat and pigeons during a dangerous incursion through Lions Gate.
Settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday through the Lions Gate, carrying animal sacrifices.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem reported that eight settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Lions Gate, carrying animal sacrifices including a small goat and three pigeons placed inside a cardboard bag. One of the settlers was also wearing tefillin (Jewish prayer shawls).
According to videos posted by the settlers, they entered through the Lions Gate under the apparent protection of police officers stationed there, who did not intervene to stop them. Al-Aqsa guards pursued the settlers, who quickly walked toward the Bab Al-Rahma in the eastern area before dispersing throughout the Al-Aqsa compound. Later, the police arrested the settlers.
Worshippers stated that today's events were remarkable and dangerous, as police are present daily and intensively at the Lions Gate, and iron barriers are set up around it. They also conduct strict checks on the identities of Palestinians entering through it. However, settlers were able to enter through the same gate without any inspection or prevention.
On May 12, 2025, in a similar incident, an extremist settler successfully entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Al-Ghawanmeh Gate, carrying a sacrificial goat. He then carried out religious rituals, including prayer and prostration, within the mosque's courtyards, marking a dangerous and unprecedented act at the holy site.
These incursions occur alongside ongoing efforts and public calls by extremist Temple Mount groups to perform sacrifices inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially during the major Jewish Passover holiday, also known as Second or Little Passover. However, the seriousness of today's events lies in the act of performing sacrificial rituals without any religious occasion, signaling a new and intentional escalation aimed at imposing religious rituals within Al-Aqsa and changing the existing status quo.
The introduction of the small goat and the three pigeons carries significant religious meaning. The goat is viewed as a sin offering and a way to atone in Jewish law, while the pigeon is a purity offering that was traditionally given by the general public (within the ancient Temple).
