JERUSALEM, March 10, 2026 (WAFA) – The Jerusalem Governorate has warned of recent changes observed in maps displayed on the website of the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem affecting the East Jerusalem town of Silwan.
These maps show modifications to the planning divisions imposed by the occupation authorities on the town of Silwan, indicating a reduction in its area and the reattachment of parts of it, particularly the Wadi Hilweh area, to what the occupation authorities refer to as the “City of David,” an area estimated at approximately 333.76 dunums.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the governorate explained that this new classification forms part of a framework aimed at transforming sections of the town into a tourist and archaeological zone driven by colonial projects. This effectively reduces Silwan’s Palestinian urban space and has direct implications for land-use planning, the provision of municipal services to residents, and the preservation of the town’s historical narrative and heritage.
The Jerusalem Governorate affirmed that the divisions, or so-called ‘municipal boundaries,’ imposed by the occupation in Jerusalem are unilateral and illegitimate measures aimed at reshaping the spatial and demographic reality of East Jerusalem to serve colonial projects.
It emphasized that these actions reflect a deeper process of spatial and political restructuring, redefining neighborhoods and linking them to a heritage and archaeological framework that reinforces the colonial narrative, particularly in areas connected to the Old City, the surroundings of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and what the occupation refers to as the ‘Holy Basin.’
The governorate pointed out that the town of Silwan is one of the oldest Palestinian towns in Jerusalem, located directly south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Its history spans thousands of years, having served as one of the historical nuclei around which Jerusalem developed. The town has also been recognized for its role in protecting the southern extension of the Old City, earning it the title ‘Guardian of Jerusalem.’ However, since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, Silwan has been subjected to ongoing Judaization policies aimed at altering its demographic and geographic character through the seizure of land and homes in favor of colonial associations.
The governorate indicated that prior to the 1967 occupation, the town of Silwan extended over an area of approximately 5,640 dunums. Since then, seizure and colonization policies have reduced its territory, as the occupation authorities took over large portions of land and established colonial projects. Colonial associations further target the town through archaeological and tourism initiatives, which are used as a pretext to control land and promote an alleged biblical narrative surrounding what is referred to as the ‘City of David.’
The Jerusalem Governorate stressed that all occupation measures in Jerusalem are null and void and illegal under international law, and that they confer no rights to the occupation, regardless of their scale or scope.
It affirmed that these policies, which target Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites and constitute acts rising to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity, will not succeed in undermining the steadfastness of Jerusalemites or displacing them from their land, as they remain resolute in upholding their right to their city and preserving their historical and national identity.
T.R.
