Sheikh Kamal Khatib, the deputy head of the northern Islamic movement in Palestine, said in a statement copied to ‘Arabstoday’ that Israel was using chemicals to corrode the foundation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and build more tunnels. The chemicals are supposedly maximising the speed at which Israel can drill. According to Khatib, Israel was destroying the foundation to prepare for the mosque’s demolition and the building of the Temple. Khatib added that the drilling formed a large gap below the holy mosque, which put it at serious risk in case of any human aggression, explosions, or even a natural earthquake. He claimed that Israel was deliberate in their actions. Former Chief Justice of the Religious Court of Palestine and Chairman of the Islamic-Christian Council for Jerusalem and the Holy Places Sheikh Taysir Al-Tamimi had made similar accusations earlier. “The [Israeli] excavations\' purpose is to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In fact, its foundations have been removed. Chemical acids were injected into the rocks to dissolve them. The soil and the pillars [were moved] so the mosque is hanging in midair. There is an Israeli plan to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to build the Temple,” said Sheikh Al-Tamimi.