JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- The head of the Islamic court in Jerusalem warned Tuesday that excavations in the east Jerusalem area threatened structures in Silwan.

Yousef Ideis said Israeli authorities have allocated 4 million shekels for a settlement project under the country's nature and parks authority.

The project aims to "devour what's left of the holy city," the sheikh said, warning that a Jerusalem 2020 initiative "targets the holy land as a whole."

He said the project aimed to change the demographic and geographic character of Jerusalem by increasing the number of Jews living in Jerusalem by establishing new settlements.