Al-Aqsa Mosque at risk of collapse due to continued excavation work by Israel

The Jerusalem Governorate has sounded an alarm over what it described as an increasing risk to the structural stability of the Al-Aqsa Mosque due to intensified excavation work being carried out by Israeli settler groups around the mosque’s perimeter and within the Old City.

In a statement, the Governorate cautioned that the ongoing and deepening excavations have reached a critical level, posing a direct threat to the foundations of Al-Aqsa Mosque and surrounding historic sites.

It said the digging operations have accelerated in recent weeks, particularly near the mosque’s southern and western walls, where underground tunnels are reportedly being expanded.

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The statement said that these excavations are part of a broader network of tunnels beneath Haram al-Sharif, intended to reshape the historical and geographical landscape of the area.

Earlier, the Jerusalem Governorate had said that Israeli authorites are conducting illegal excavations beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, alleging that the work has led to the destruction of valuable Islamic artifacts.

In an official statement, the Governorate said that leaked footage purportedly shows Israeli forces engaged in excavation activity directly under the mosque complex. According to the statement, the digging has already damaged relics and architectural remains dating back to the Umayyad period.