Jerusalem's Holy Sites Littered With Rocket Debris After Iranian Attack
Police and emergency services reported that pieces of intercepted missiles landed near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Al Aqsa compound on the Temple Mount, and several other locations across the capital following the latest Iranian missile barrage. Despite the dramatic locations of the impacts, authorities said there were no serious injuries and no major damage to the religious sites themselves.
Fragments from Iranian ballistic missiles and debris from Israeli interceptor missiles fell Monday near several of Jerusalem’s most sensitive religious sites, including areas around the Old City, Israeli authorities said.
Police and emergency services reported that pieces of intercepted missiles landed near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Al Aqsa compound on the Temple Mount, and several other locations across the capital following the latest Iranian missile barrage.
Despite the dramatic locations of the impacts, authorities said there were no serious injuries and no major damage to the religious sites themselves.
Police photographs from the scene showed officers carrying away a large ring shaped piece of missile debris that had landed on a red tiled roof next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus’s crucifixion and burial and one of Christianity’s most important pilgrimage destinations.
Additional fragments were discovered within the Al Aqsa compound plaza, which also includes the Dome of the Rock and is known to Jews as the Temple Mount. Images released by police showed a small cordoned off area where pieces of debris had scattered across the stone plaza.
Police said bomb disposal units and Border Police teams secured the sites and were working to ensure there was no further danger to the public.
“Jerusalem District police, bomb disposal teams, and Border Police units have secured the sites and are currently working to eliminate any remaining risk,” authorities said in a statement.
Elsewhere in the city, a large fragment from an intercepted missile struck a home in East Jerusalem, causing property damage. Additional debris landed near the National Library of Israel, not far from the Knesset.
Emergency medical services reported only one minor injury connected to the falling debris. Magen David Adom said a person suffered a minor burn to the hand after touching a hot missile fragment.
Officials urged the public to stay away from any debris from missiles or interceptor systems and to immediately alert authorities if fragments are discovered.
The incident highlights the wide geographic reach of debris from missile interceptions as Israel’s air defense systems continue to engage Iranian ballistic missiles fired toward the country during the ongoing war.