JERUSALEM, October 25, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities and colonial organizations continue excavations and tunnel construction beneath Silwan, in occupied Jerusalem, as part of projects aimed at altering the area’s historic landscape and erasing its Palestinian identity, particularly around the Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, the Jerusalem Governorate said.

The governorate warned that the excavations threaten not only the historical identity of the city but also the safety of Palestinian citizens. Reports have documented cracks, collapses and structural damage to homes above the excavation sites, putting residents’ safety and their right to remain in their homes at risk.

The governorate said colonial organizations select excavation sites to support a particular historical narrative, focusing on specific archaeological layers, especially those associated with the 10th century BCE, while marginalizing other periods that reflect Jerusalem’s successive civilizations.

The excavations extend across the area known as the “Holy Basin,” between the Old City and the Mount of Olives, encompassing the neighborhoods of Silwan, Wadi Hilweh, al-Bustan and Wadi al-Rababa, and reaching north toward Sheikh Jarrah.

The governorate added that archaeological discoveries are being linked to biblical narratives and sites are being given biblical names. It said this turns archaeology from a scientific effort to study the city’s history across different periods into a tool for advancing a political narrative and justifying the takeover of land.

M.N