Jerusalem — The Jerusalem Governorate has issued an urgent warning over the potential collapse of sections of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, citing the continued and intensified excavation work being conducted by Israeli authorities and settler groups around its perimeter and beneath the Old City.
In an official statement released Wednesday, the Governor’s Office cautioned that the “intensive and continuous works now pose a direct structural danger to the foundations of the mosque and its historic buildings.”
Escalating Excavations Under Al-Aqsa
According to the statement, Israeli occupation authorities and their settlement organizations have recently intensified underground drilling, particularly near the southern and western walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
These excavations, the Governorate said, are part of a complex network of tunnels aimed at altering the historical and geographical reality beneath Haram al-Sharif — Islam’s third holiest site.
Cracks Emerging in the Old City
The warning extends beyond Al-Aqsa itself. The Governorate reported that numerous residential and historical buildings across the Old City have developed visible cracks and fissures, attributing them to the ongoing subterranean works.
Officials stressed that the continuous removal of soil and creation of deep underground voids are weakening the foundations of the mosque and adjacent structures.
This, they warned, could lead to a “sudden collapse” of parts of the compound, posing a severe threat to worshippers and residents in the area.
Broader Concerns Over Heritage and Safety
The Jerusalem Governorate’s statement underscores growing concerns among Palestinian and international observers about Israel’s excavation activities around Al-Aqsa, which they say are being carried out without proper oversight or preservation safeguards.
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Authorities have called on UNESCO and international heritage organizations to intervene immediately to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City’s structural integrity.
The warning marks one of the strongest recent alerts issued by Jerusalem’s local authorities, amid fears that unchecked excavation could trigger irreversible damage to one of the most sacred and historically significant sites in the world.