RAMALLAH, May 6, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli authorities attacked a historical landmark adjacent to the walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque, specifically the Shihabi family courtyard adjacent to Bab Al-Hadid, a historical landmark of architectural and religious significance in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Governorate condemned this attack in a statement, stressing that the frantic attempts to expand the entrance to the courtyard and transform it into a so-called Jewish prayer place, with direct support from the occupation municipality, are a flagrant violation of international law and a new crime added to the occupation's dark record in the Holy City.

The Governorate noted that these attacks are part of a clear Judaization project targeting the Holy Basin and the Islamic Waqf buildings surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque, as part of the colonial "Greater Jerusalem" plan that the occupation government seeks to impose by force. It is a new blatant attack on the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Hashemite Custodianship in Jerusalem, and an attempt to impose a new fait accompli in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Governorate affirmed that the occupation's allegations of an extension of the so-called "Western Wall" in the Shihabi Courtyard lack any historical or archaeological basis and are merely a blatant pretext to justify attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites and property in the city.

The Governorate noted that the building, dating back to the Mamluk era, is an architectural heritage protected under international conventions and forms part of the historical fabric of the Old City, which is listed as a World Heritage Site.

The Governorate warned that the continuation of these attacks, carried out under the protection of the occupation police and the complicity of its municipal institutions, threatens the collapse of the historic courtyard and constitutes a violation of the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its Waqf surroundings. It also blatantly challenges the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Governorate expressed its full solidarity with the Shihabi family and their right to protect their historical property, calling on the international community, especially UNESCO, and Arab and Islamic countries, to intervene to stop the occupation's violations.

Y.S