In occupied Jerusalem, the Israeli administration has approved a plan to seize Palestinian properties in the Bab al-Silsila area adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to a report by the Palestinian Information Center, this decision is being viewed as part of a broader effort to weaken the Palestinian presence in the Old City and expand the scope of Jewish settlements.
The Jerusalem Governorate said in its statement that this decision is a step toward implementing an old confiscation order from 1968. According to the report, Israel is describing it as a measure to strengthen ‘Jewish control and security’ in the area.
According to the information, under this plan, 15 to 20 historic Palestinian properties located along the Bab al-Silsila route have been targeted. These buildings belong to local Palestinian families and the Islamic Waqf, and their history dates back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman eras.
The report said that the body managing the so-called ‘Jewish Quarter’ will be granted the authority to complete the process of seizing and acquiring these properties.
The Jerusalem Governorate said that Bab al-Silsila is one of the most important historic routes leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore, targeting this area is not only a matter of land seizure, but also an attempt to change the identity of the Old City.”
The statement also noted that several important Islamic and historic buildings are located in this area, including the Tashthamariyya Madrasa.
According to the Governorate, the Israeli administration had also seized around 116 dunams of land in the Old City in 1968 under the pretext of ‘public interest.’ After that, the area of the so-called ‘Jewish Quarter’ expanded from five dunams before 1948 to approximately 133 dunams, most of which was taken from private Palestinian properties.
The Jerusalem Governorate described this decision as a blatant violation of international law and international resolutions related to occupied Jerusalem. It also called on the United Nations, UNESCO, and other international organizations to intervene immediately in order to stop the seizure of Palestinian properties around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City.