Hamas calls for mass mobilization to defend Aqsa

In a statement issued on Monday, Hamas warned that the settlers’ actions reflect growing Israeli ambitions to take over Aqsa. It labeled the incident, which involved sneaking a lamb through Bab al-Ghawanmeh as a blatant violation of Islamic holy sites and a provocation that must be confronted through wide public mobilization.

Hamas condemned the Israeli occupation for facilitating settler incursions and allowing them to perform unprecedented Talmudic rituals inside the mosque compound — acts considered a serious breach of the historical and legal status quo.

The Movement praised the Aqsa guards who foiled the sacrificial attempt and called on all Palestinians, particularly those in Jerusalem, to stand firm against settler plans and protect Aqsa from ongoing aggression.

Foiled Attempt Sparks Widespread Condemnation

Earlier Monday morning, Aqsa Mosque guards successfully thwarted an attempt by extremist settlers to sneak a small lamb into the mosque compound, with the intent of sacrificing it in its courtyards, according to the media advisor to the Jerusalem Governor, Ma’rouf Al-Rifai.

This attempted incursion comes amid an uptick in provocative activity by so-called “Temple Mount groups”, which have launched campaigns aimed at increasing the frequency and scale of settler raids into the mosque compound.

These groups have also submitted a petition to Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, demanding permission to bring so-called “sacred tools” — including the tallit (Jewish prayer shawl), tefillin (phylacteries), and Torah scrolls — into the Mosque.

Religious Figures and Officials Respond

Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and preacher at Aqsa Mosque, condemned the attempt to introduce sacrificial offerings, calling it a blatant provocation and a red line that must not be crossed.

He applauded the Mosque guards and worshipers who confronted what he described as a “vile act” designed purely to provoke Muslim sensitivities.

“Aqsa belongs solely to Muslims,” he affirmed, “and any attempt by Jewish extremists to impose new realities will be firmly resisted.”

He further warned that such actions are part of a larger Israeli ambition to assert control over the mosque — ambitions that are gradually being implemented through repeated provocations.

Calls for International Action

The Jerusalem Governorate condemned the settlers’ attempted sacrificial act as a dangerous escalation and a crime against the sanctity of Al-Aqsa, stressing that it constitutes a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions.

In an official statement, it called on Arab and Islamic states, as well as the international community, to take urgent and serious action to protect Al-Aqsa and halt the rising number of violations.

Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf Department reported that Temple Mount groups have launched a campaign to mobilize support for a major raid into the Al-Aqsa compound during what they call “Jerusalem Day”, which falls on 26 May, beginning the evening of Sunday 25 May. Their goal is to carry out full-scale Talmudic rituals inside the mosque.

Once again, the petition to Ben-Gvir reiterates demands to bring in religious paraphernalia, escalating the ongoing effort to alter the status quo at one of Islam’s holiest sites.

Aqsa continues to face daily settler incursions under the protection of Israeli forces — a routine that violates long-standing religious and legal understandings. Palestinian and Islamic authorities have consistently warned against Israeli efforts to impose temporal and spatial divisions within the holy site.