Hamas Says Excavations Under Al-Aqsa Mosque Are an Attack on Jerusalem’s Identity
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas has said that excavations and tunnels beneath Al-Aqsa Mosque, together with comments by Benjamin Netanyahu, are a blatant attack on the identity and status of the holy site and an incitement to the feelings of Palestinians and Arab and Islamic nations.
In a statement, Hamas said Al-Aqsa Mosque, with all its courtyards, prayer halls, walls and gates, is a wholly Islamic mosque, and that efforts to change its identity or impose a Talmudic narrative on the site would not succeed.
The statement added that Israel’s excavations, ceremonies and provocative remarks are part of an effort to impose new realities in Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Hamas stressed that these actions would not erase the historical and religious rights of Palestinians to their holy sites.
The group called on Palestinians to go to Al-Aqsa Mosque in larger numbers and prevent what Hamas described as dangerous violations. Hamas also urged Arab and Islamic nations to take responsibility for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque and to act against efforts to alter the status of these sites.
At the same time, Netanyahu early on Sunday published videos and images on his official Instagram account showing him at a ceremony linked to the Western Wall. He also visited one of the tunnels excavated beneath the site with his wife and again made claims about ownership of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Alongside this event, images published on social media show thousands of settlers going to the Western Wall area west of Al-Aqsa Mosque and holding Talmudic ceremonies. The images have sparked a wave of anger and condemnation among users and political activists.
According to activists and users, the event is not limited to a visit or a statement, but is a sign of an organised effort to change the identity of the site and entrench the Israeli narrative in Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in East Jerusalem and is considered one of the most sensitive religious and political sites in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
