BEIRUT, Sept 27 (AFP) - The top Palestinian Muslim cleric accused Israel in remarks published here on Monday of seeking to seize control of the Al Aqsa mosque compound by raising safety concerns at the holy shrine in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem mufti Sheikh Ekrima Sabri said in an interview with Lebanon's An Nahar newspaper that "the foundations ... do not raise concern and the Israeli claims to that end are baseless."
These claims were only "a justification" for Israel to put its hand on the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, he charged.
The mufti said a recent report by engineers from the Islamic endowments authority, experts in Islamic arts and Egyptian archaeologists confirmed that the shrine stood on solid foundations, with works needed only to cover cracks in the southern and eastern sections of the structure.
On Sunday, Israeli Interior Security Minister Gideon Ezra said the shrine might suffer partial collapse under the weight of worshippers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which begins next month.
Ezra also said work to strengthen the mosque plaza should start immediately or Israel would limit access during Ramadan for safety reasons.
Jordanian Religious Affairs Minister Ahmed Heleil, who heads a Jordanian committee responsible for the maintenance of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, also dismissed the Israeli claims.
"There are no foundations for the Israeli warnings suggesting that the Marwani prayer room could collapse during the holy month of Ramadan," Heleil told a Jordanian newspaper on Monday.
He also confirmed that a team of experts visited the site earlier this year and found no reason for concern.
The site is also revered by Jews as it was once the site of the Jewish temple, the holiest shrine in Judaism, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.