JERUSALEM, May 1, 2026 (WAFA) — Al-Aqsa Mosque guards on Friday foiled an attempt by a group of Israeli colonists to storm the mosque through Bab Hutta while carrying a live animal intended as a sacrifice, coinciding the “Second Passover” holiday.

According to the Jerusalem Governorate, the group managed to pass the first iron barrier set up by Israeli police at the entrance of the corridor leading to the gate before guards quickly intervened and closed Bab Hutta gate, preventing their entry into the mosque compound.

It said extremist “Temple Mount” groups seek to bring sacrificial animals and perform rituals inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards.

It noted that similar groups succeeded last year in briefly bringing a live sacrifice into the mosque during the same occasion, before worshippers and guards intervened and removed them.

M.N