A stone fell from the Kosel wall onto the plaza on Sunday morning during Neitz. In a neis, no one was injured in the incident.

The stone fell from the wall of the Machkama building, built about 700 years ago and currently used as a Border Police station that faces the Kosel plaza. A preliminary examination found that a leak in the roof of the building caused pressure on the stones and the bonding material between them, causing the stone to shift out of place and fall.

Following the rare incident, the area where the stone fell was cordoned off and the incident was investigated by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and the Antiquities Authority.

The Heritage Foundation’s engineers clarified that there are no security concerns for visitors to the Kosel and are working to seal the roof of the building and replace the bonding material. They are also conducting a comprehensive inspection of the building’s stones.

The Foundation conducts professional testing twice a year to evaluate the stability and strength of the Kosel’s stones, with the most recent test carried out on erev Pesach.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)