Israeli Excavations Threaten Collapse of Al-Aqsa Mosque

OCCUPIED AL-QUDS (KI) -- The Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Old City of Al-Quds, and its internationally protected historical structures are under increasing threat from more than 60 illegal Israeli excavations, actions that constitute a blatant violation of UNESCO resolutions safeguarding the Islamic identity of the city. 

The ongoing tunnels, dug beneath the mosque’s foundations, have raised serious concerns that the first Qibla of Muslims could collapse under the feet of worshippers.
Israeli authorities continue to expand these tunnels beneath and around Al-Aqsa, seeking not only to distort Al-Quds’ historical and cultural narrative but also to advance baseless claims of a “Third Temple.” This systematic undermining of the city’s heritage has left the mosque’s columns and other ancient structures dangerously vulnerable.
“Israel has long sought control of the subterranean areas of Al-Aqsa,” said Ma’rouf al-Rifai, media advisor to Al-Quds’ governor. 
He noted that the occupation has maintained and expanded tunnels for decades, establishing underground museums and assembly halls, with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly holding several cabinet meetings inside them. 
These excavations have caused cracks and structural damage to homes and buildings above the tunnels, further endangering the city’s residents.
While the world remains preoccupied with other conflicts, Israel has continued tunneling from the Al-Buraq area to the Hebron Gate, placing the Old City and its internationally recognized monuments at serious risk. UNESCO resolutions, which emphasize the unconditional Islamic character of Al-Aqsa, are repeatedly violated by these actions.
Local residents express deep concern over the ongoing occupation and its destructive impact. Nafiseh Khweis, a longtime guardian of Al-Aqsa’s oral history, recalled that even before the October 1973 war, Israeli authorities had begun subterranean work beneath the mosque. “Only God has protected Al-Aqsa from complete destruction,” she said, highlighting that excavations continue unabated beneath both the mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
Faris Nasser, another Jerusalem resident, emphasized that these operations have continued for over fifty years, putting the columns of both Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock in danger. 
He added that Israel’s stated religious justification masks a broader agenda: to erase Al-Aqsa from the map, undermining the spiritual and cultural heritage of millions of Muslims worldwide.
Experts warn that these limitless excavations are not merely archaeological pursuits but part of a deliberate plan to reshape Jerusalem’s reality, erase its Arab and Islamic identity, and replace it with a narrative aligned with extremist Zionist ideology. Without international oversight or intervention, the threat to one of Islam’s holiest sites grows daily.