the holy capital for the three religions of the book (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), often hears sirens warning of projectiles in its skies in this city, but the damage is little. The historical, monumental, tourist and religious importance makes it especially well protected. That is why what happened in the last few hours is striking, when fragments of various ammunition have fallen in its heart, in the old city, and near Santos Lugares, too.
Apparently, fragments of ballistic missiles fired by Iran and remains of the Israeli interceptors that shot them down fell on Monday around the walled city and, specifically, in the Arab quarter and the Christian quarter, reports the Israeli police and confirms Oren Marmorstein, spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
No casualties or significant damage were reported in the Church of the or on the nearby plateau of the , where Al-Aqsa is located – which the Jews know as the Temple Mount -, the nerve center of the sacred in the city.
Photographs distributed by police show three officers carrying what appeared to be a large ring-shaped metal fragment of a missile from a red tile roof adjacent to the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus and a popular pilgrimage site.
The EFE agency specifies that it was the building of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. A source from said institution indicated that the impact occurred within the Patriarchate grounds, from where stairs can be used to access the Rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre.
An area of the Esplanade of the Mosques complex, cordoned off due to the location of projectile remains, on March 16, 2026.
Another image shows a police cordon around a small area in the square of the Al-Aqsa complex, where the Dome of the Rock is also located, with small fragments scattered on the ground.
“Jerusalem District Police, bomb disposal teams and border police units have secured the areas and are currently working to eliminate any remaining risk to the public,” the police said in a statement.
In photographs shared by Israel Firefighters, a fragment of a large missile is also seen embedded in a roof in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, causing no injuries. It is a Palestinian area, occupied by Israel.
A drone image shows part of an Iranian missile that hit the roof of a building in East Jerusalem on March 16, 2026.
Damage in a sensitive city
The Old City, located in occupied East Jerusalem, was spared attacks during the previous attack against Iran last June, when cities on the outskirts of Tel Aviv or the southern Beersheba suffered the main damage.
In the current conflict, shrapnel fragments have hit several places near the Old City, such as a direct hit by the head of a missile against an access road to Jerusalem and fragments against a concert stand at a distance of about 700 meters. Something new.
According to data from last June, in west Jerusalem – with a Jewish majority – there are 550 shelters (public and private) compared to only 51 in the east; area where approximately 40% of the Palestinian population resides. In addition, the city’s 186 public shelters are located in the west, while in the east there are none, except for those located in some schools.
