Palestinian sources revealed a new Israeli tunnel under the western wall of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, at a depth of 20 meters underground. The Israeli occupation calls it the “Temple Bridge.”

Researcher Moaz Agbariya from Umm al-Fahm in the occupied Palestinian territories said that the tunnel was opened several months ago, and is located under the so-called “Hashmonean” tunnel, and extends from the Buraq Wall to Bab al-Ghawanmeh, and the visitor exits from the tunnel gate under the Omariya School in the Old City in occupied Jerusalem.

He stressed that the new tunnel poses a danger to the foundations of the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to the homes in the Old City located along the path of the wall, as long as the occupation continues its work in excavations in the place.

Dangerous excavations

He pointed out that the occupation allows Jews and foreign tourists, including those holding the “Blue ID,” to visit the tunnel from the Buraq Wall, after passing through an inspection gate and paying 40 shekels to visit it, and the tunnel extends one kilometer and 300 meters.

Agbariya stated that whoever walks on the bridge connecting the Buraq Wall and Bab al-Ghawanmeh, which is called the “Temple Bridge,” sees below it, at a depth of 20 meters, an underground city consisting of Roman, Canaanite, and Byzantine houses.

According to Agbariya, the visitor to the tunnel under the western wall of Al-Aqsa sees the same stones outside the wall, without any counterfeiting of this prominent landmark.

He pointed out that when entering the tunnel, the visitor sees an iron bridge surrounded on both ends by glass panels, as well as Roman arches and special places to provide explanations about the “alleged structure.”

He pointed out that inside the tunnel there is a private synagogue affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Religions, with the aim of important Israeli figures performing their Talmudic rituals.

Highlights

One of the prominent landmarks inside the tunnel is the “old Gate of Tranquility,” which is located under the Gate of Al-Mutahhara - one of the doors inside Al-Aqsa, which is an ancient archaeological well dating back to the Ayyubid period.

The researcher, Igbaria, noted that the Jews had stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1981, from the “Gate of Tranquility” and called it the “Gate of the Temple,” and when the Islamic Endowments saw this, they rushed, accompanied by workers and guards, to close it with mud.

“Bab al-Sakina” is a huge, low closed door, 11 meters long and 5:5 meters wide. The outer entrance to the door, “currently the well,” overlooks the western tunnel.

According to historical sources, the well was closed during the Crusader period and its basement was turned into a well, and it was later known as “Qaytbay’s Well.” In 1981, the Israelis penetrated the gate through the western tunnel, which is overlooked by the outer entrance to the door (the well now), after withdrawing Qaytbay’s water, heading toward Dome of the Rock.

At that time, the occupation Ministry of Religions claimed to have discovered a tunnel towards the Dome of the Rock, and the well was declared a synagogue, which prompted the Supreme Islamic Authority in occupied Jerusalem to declare a general strike, and then the Endowment engineers and workers were able to plug the opening and fill the well with water again.

Since the occupation of the city of Jerusalem in 1967, the occupation authorities have continued in full swing with their excavations under and around Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Researcher Moaz Agbaria pointed out that there are three other tunnels extending from under Ain Silwan all the way down to the bottom of Al-Aqsa’s foundations to the Buraq Wall, and there they meet the new tunnel mentioned, and another tunnel called “Hasmonean” which was opened in 1996, and they extend from the Buraq Wall to Bab Al-Ghawanimah.