Al-Aqsa Mosque faces attack by "sacrificial animals' during attempted entry through Bab Hutta on Friday
On Friday, settlers tried to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Hutta Gate, a northern entrance, carrying an animal for sacrifice meant to be slaughtered inside the mosque, during the period known as the "Second Passover."
According to a video shared by settlers, about 21 individuals participated in the attempt. They traveled along the route between the King Faisal Gate and the Hutta Gate, attacking the initial metal barrier placed by Israeli police at the Hutta Gate entrance, and they managed to breach it within seconds.
The footage depicts settlers approaching the Hutta Gate with bags holding sacrifices and religious books, while chanting hymns. Guards at Al-Aqsa Mosque quickly closed the gate, preventing the attempt.
This incident's danger lies in its violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, highlighting that all its gates have now become targets, especially since it happened on a Friday. This contrasts with the usual pattern of incursions through the Dung Gate, which has been controlled by the occupation authorities since Jerusalem's occupation. Typically, these incursions occur along specific routes and times in the morning and afternoon, usually excluding Fridays and Saturdays, and are supervised by the occupation police.
There have been repeated attempts over the years to bring sacrificial offerings into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially during the Jewish Passover and the Second Passover, when extremist groups on the Temple Mount aim to conduct ritual sacrifices in the mosque's courtyards.
In May 2025, a landmark incident occurred when an extremist settler with eight others entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque via the Al-Ghawanmeh Gate, carrying a small goat as an offering. He conducted religious rituals, such as prayer and prostration, inside the mosque's courtyards.
Last June, four extremist settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. They entered from the north, carrying a bag containing ritual items such as a wine cup, bread, and a cloth that appeared to have bloodstains. They attempted to perform religious rituals inside the mosque, believing the site to be the location of the altar.
In November of that year, eight settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque via the Lions Gate, carrying animal sacrifices: a small goat and three doves in a cardboard bag. One of the settlers was wearing tefillin (Jewish prayer shawls). They succeeded in reaching the eastern courtyard of the mosque.
Extremist groups on the Temple Mount believe that performing the Passover sacrifice inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque and shedding its blood will, according to their beliefs, bring the Messiah closer and help them control what they refer to as the Temple Mount, directly threatening the mosque's current status quo.
The Second Passover occurs roughly a month after the main Passover holiday. According to Jewish religious beliefs, it provides an alternative chance for those who missed offering a sacrifice on the first Passover.
