Jerusalem, Sep 01 (V7N) – The Jerusalem Governorate has accused Israel of carrying out illegal excavations beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, alleging that Islamic monuments are being deliberately destroyed to alter the site’s historical identity.

In a statement issued Sunday (August 31), the governorate said a leaked video shows Israeli forces conducting secret excavations at the sensitive site. The statement accused Israeli authorities of “deliberately destroying Islamic monuments from the Umayyad era, which prove Muslim ownership of the site.”

It further claimed that Israel’s actions are part of a broader plan to erase the Islamic heritage of Al-Aqsa and replace it with the “Temple Mount” narrative, warning that the excavations pose a serious risk to the foundations of the mosque and surrounding archaeological monuments.

The governorate argued that these works are being conducted “without international oversight” and align with Israel’s long-standing strategy to Zionize the entire city of Jerusalem.

Although the statement did not specify the exact excavation sites, Palestinians have long accused Tel Aviv of digging tunnels under Al-Aqsa as part of efforts to consolidate control over East Jerusalem.

Under international law, the Jordanian-run Jerusalem Endowment Council (Waqf) is the sole body authorized to administer the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. A 2013 agreement between Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed Jordan’s role in maintaining and protecting holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is regarded as the third-holiest site in Islam. Jews, meanwhile, refer to the area as the Temple Mount, where they believe two ancient Jewish temples once stood.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa compound, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and unilaterally annexed the city in 1980 — a move never recognized by the international community.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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