Israel denies allowing sacrifice at Al-Aqsa complex amid tension

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday denied reports about allowing far-right settlers to make a sacrifice at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex during the Jewish Passover holiday.

"Allegations that there are Jews intending to slaughter sacrifices on Haram al-Sharif (Al-Aqsa Mosque) are completely false," his spokesman Ofir Gendelman said on Twitter.

Israel "will preserve the status quo in the holy places and will not allow any disturbance to security and public order, in Jerusalem or anywhere else," he added.
Israeli far-right groups have called on social media platforms for making animal sacrifice at the Al-Aqsa complex as part of the celebration of the week-long Passover holiday.

The settler calls have drawn fire from the Palestinian Authority and Hamas group, which rules the Gaza Strip, amid warnings that such a move will escalate the situation across the occupied territories.

Tension is already running high across the occupied West Bank, amid near-daily Israeli raids following a spate of attacks inside Israel.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Since 2003, Israel has allowed settlers into the compound almost on a daily basis.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.