The Board of Trustees of the Al-Aqsa Mosque has warned of a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in Israeli excavation work around the holy site, accusing Israeli authorities of pursuing policies aimed at Judaizing Jerusalem, erasing its Arab and Islamic identity, and altering the city's historical narrative.

Fakhri Abu Diab, a researcher and member of the Board of Trustees, said the intensified excavations form part of a systematic Israeli plan to isolate the Al-Aqsa Mosque and weaken the authority of the Jordanian-administered Islamic Waqf, which oversees the Islamic holy site.

According to Abu Diab, Israeli authorities have recently accelerated excavation work, particularly in the Umayyad Palaces area and around the immediate surroundings of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

He said the excavations have been accompanied by the construction of underground halls and facilities that, he argued, are being used to promote Israeli narratives about the site's history and reinforce claims of a Jewish historical presence, with the aim of imposing new realities both above and below ground.

Abu Diab warned that the excavation projects coincide with broader Israeli efforts to reduce the role of the Islamic Waqf in administering the Al-Aqsa Mosque and expand the influence of Israeli authorities and Jewish Temple groups over the site.

He said these measures include the installation of advanced surveillance systems and smart cameras linked directly to Israeli police, which he said are intended to increase monitoring of Palestinian worshippers and restrict their movement within the mosque compound.

"The excavations are not only targeting what lies beneath the ground, but also the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, which remains the first line of defense for Al-Aqsa Mosque," Abu Diab said.

The Board member also pointed to what he described as an increase in Israeli home demolitions and forced displacement of Palestinian families in neighborhoods including Al-Bustan, Batan Al-Hawa, and Sheikh Jarrah.

He said these measures are occurring alongside accelerated settlement projects around the Old City and in areas such as Qalandiya and Atarot, which he argued are intended to alter Jerusalem's demographic and cultural character in favor of Israeli settlers.

Abu Diab attributed the acceleration of these policies to Israel's exploitation of regional and international attention being focused on other crises, coupled with the absence of effective international accountability.

He further claimed that the current Israeli government is seeking to strengthen support among far-right political factions and Temple groups ahead of upcoming elections by expanding its activities in Jerusalem and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

According to Abu Diab, Israeli excavation projects have continued beneath the Old City and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque since 1967, under the supervision of the Israel Antiquities Authority and settler organizations, including Elad.

He said Israeli authorities publicly describe the excavations as archaeological work aimed at uncovering historical evidence, including claims related to Solomon's Temple, but argued that the projects are instead being used to develop underground synagogues and tourist facilities linking Israeli settlements to the Old City.

Engineers and heritage experts have repeatedly warned that continued excavation beneath and around the Old City could threaten the structural integrity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and nearby historic buildings.

Palestinian and Jordanian officials have issued repeated warnings over the years regarding Israeli excavation work in occupied East Jerusalem, arguing that the projects endanger one of Islam's holiest sites while altering the historical and religious character of the city.

Jerusalem-based sources say excavation and tunnel projects have intensified in recent months alongside expanded settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and additional Israeli measures that Palestinians say seek to impose new realities at the sacred site. (ILKHA)