Shrapnel from ballistic missiles launched by Iran, and debris from the Israeli interceptors that shot those missiles down, fell on Monday in and around the area of Jerusalem’s walled Old City, Israeli police said.
Police reported that fragments landed near several of the Old City’s most sacred sites to Christians, Muslims and Jews. Officials said there were no casualties and no major damage reported at two particularly sensitive locations: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the elevated compound known to Muslims as Al-Aqsa and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Photographs released by police showed three officers carrying what appeared to be a large, metal, ring-shaped section of a missile from a red-tiled roof immediately adjacent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church is identified as the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial and serves as a prominent destination for pilgrims.
Another image that police distributed showed a police cordon surrounding a small area of the Al-Aqsa compound plaza, which also contains the golden Dome of the Rock. Small fragments were visible on the plaza floor inside the cordoned-off zone, according to the images.
In a statement, authorities said: "Jerusalem District police, bomb disposal teams, and Border Police units have secured the sites and are currently working to eliminate any remaining risk to the public." The statement indicates coordinated activity by multiple security and ordnance teams to clear debris and address potential hazards.
The police images and statement provide the primary public account of the incident. Beyond the visual record and the official remark that teams were securing and clearing the locations, officials reported no injuries or significant structural harm at the named religious sites.
Contextual note: The information in this report is based on the police statement and the photographs released by police showing debris removal and security cordons in the Old City.