PA says Israel carrying out secret excavations and demolitions under Al Aqsa Mosque

The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate says leaked footage shows Israeli authorities carrying out secret excavations and demolitions beneath the Al Aqsa Mosque compound.

“These operations deliberately target Islamic antiquities dating back to the Umayyad period, which stand as living witnesses and irrefutable evidence of Muslims’ rightful claim to the site,” the authority said in a statement, referencing the Islamic caliphate that ruled from 661 to 750.

It said Israel is working to erase the mosque’s Islamic heritage to prepare for a future Jewish temple, adding that the excavations are taking place without international oversight.

The authority called the works “a crime and a blatant violation of international laws and agreements protecting artefacts”.