Israeli minister demands a halt to Al-Aqsa renovations

The Israeli Minister of Construction and Housing Uri Ariel asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order the police to stop the renovation works carried out by the Islamic Waqf at Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem.

In a post on Facebook, Ariel asked Netanyahu to “order the police to immediately halt the works at the site [Al-Aqsa Mosque] until the reasons for the renovations have been clarified and approved.”

“These works require authorisation from the Ministerial Committee on Archaeological Digs at Holy Sites,” he added.

“I have made an urgent appeal to the prime minister to stop the illegal excavation works at the Temple Mount,” Ariel added, but he did not specify the place of the excavations and renovations.

Netanyahu has not responded to his request.

The Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, which is an affiliate of the Ministry of Awqaf in Jordan has repeated affirmed that it rejects the Israeli government’s intervention in Al-Aqsa Mosque’s affairs.

It carries out continuous renovation works in the 144-dunum Al-Aqsa Mosque (0.14km).

The Islamic Waqf accuses Israel of conducting excavations under Al-Aqsa and putting the mosque at risk.