Israel: No New Excavations Under Western Wall.

By IsraelWire

The PLO Authority-appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheik Arama Tsabari, Wednesday, issued a threat regarding reported archeological work by Israel on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Tsabari warned that the excavations conducted by Israel are compromising the integrity of the mosques on the Temple Mount and the slightest damage to any of the Islamic structures would result in an outbreak of violence and an "explosion" in the area.

Israel Antiquities Authority officials issued a statement denying the presence of any new tunnel or ongoing excavations in the areas described by the media.

There is a Second Temple-era tunnel, the existence of which has been well-known for many years. It served as part of a Herodian street's rainwater drainage network and both parallel the Western Wall and runs beyond the confines of the Temple Mount. The tunnel has been written about in scientific publications, archaeological reports and tourist guides (including the guide for the Jerusalem Archaeological Park).