Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Governorate has warned that ongoing Israeli excavations beneath and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the Old City pose a serious threat to Jerusalem’s historic and Islamic landmarks.

In an interview with Palestinian News Agency Wafa on Wednesday,  October 22, Marouf Al-Rifai, adviser to the governorate, said the digging of tunnels linking several colonial sites was part of an Israeli plan to Judaise the Old City and alter its religious and cultural character.

He explained that the tunnels connect areas referred to by Israel as the “City of David,” running through stone passageways that were originally ancient waterways. These have been drained and converted into tunnels, museums, and synagogues, including one known as the “Jabbana Market,” which has been turned into a Jewish tourist trail.

Al-Rifai warned that the excavations could destabilise the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque and damage surrounding Palestinian landmarks such as historic homes and ancient schools. He said the work lacked scientific basis and violated international law and the established status quo governing Jerusalem’s holy sites.

“These tunnels aim to impose Israeli control over the holy sites and erase Jerusalem’s Palestinian and Islamic character,” he said, noting that the works are being carried out secretly and without international supervision, threatening the mosque’s structural stability.

In an interview with Al Mamlaka TV, Al-Rifai said there are growing concerns that cracks caused by the excavations could lead to the collapse of parts of Al-Aqsa Mosque. He confirmed that the tunnels are being directly funded by the Israeli government as part of a long-term political project to Judaise the Old City and alter its historical and geographical reality.

According to him, one of the most expensive projects, the “Pilgrims’ Road” tunnel in the Silwan neighbourhood south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, cost about 50 million shekels and extends nearly 600 metres from the Mughrabi Gate to the Western Wall.

He also mentioned other tunnels, including the Hasmonean Tunnel, which runs parallel to the western wall of Al-Aqsa and connects to the Via Dolorosa, containing archaeological sites such as Robinson’s Arch, the Generations Pit, and a Roman theatre.

Al-Rifai described these tunnels as part of a systematic plan to alter the demographic and architectural identity of East Jerusalem, noting that the projects extend between 6 and 15 metres underground through vital heritage areas.

“These are not archaeological works as claimed,” he said. “They are political projects designed to consolidate Israel’s control and rewrite Jerusalem’s history.”

The Jerusalem Governorate renewed its appeal to the United Nations and UNESCO to halt the ongoing excavations and ensure international oversight to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem’s historical landmarks from irreversible damage.

In August, the Jerusalem Governorate raised similar concerns after leaked videos showed Israeli forces conducting unauthorised excavations beneath Al-Aqsa Mosque. It accused Israel of destroying Islamic artefacts dating back to the Umayyad period in an effort to rewrite the site’s history and reinforce the “Temple Mount” narrative.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in occupied East Jerusalem, is Islam’s third-holiest site. The area, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is believed to have housed two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed it in 1980 — a move not recognised by the international community.

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