JERUSALEM, Israel - Israel on Thursday began broadcasting live images of a contentious construction project on the Internet in an effort to allay Muslim fears that the work would damage nearby Islamic shrines.
Israel began excavations last week to lay the ground to repair an earthen ramp leading to the hilltop compound known as the Temple Mount to Jews and as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims. The work sparked immediate protests at the site and condemnation from across the Muslim and Arab world.
Three cameras at the site began broadcasting live images on Thursday and will work around the clock, Israel Antiquities Authority spokeswoman Osnat Goaz said.
"They film all angles of the works so people can view what's going there all hours of the day," she said. "The works do not go anywhere near any holy site and everybody can see that from the cameras."
However, angry Muslims said they were not satisfied with the cameras.
"This procedure is not enough," said Ismail Radwan, a spokesman for the militant Palestinian group Hamas. "The Zionist enemy is engaging in trickery and continuing its digging. We don't trust these procedures."
