JERUSALEM, April 13, 2026 (WAFA) – Colonists erected an iron gate today between the Cotton Merchants' Market and the Iron Gate in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the iron gate was erected near the Old City Youth Association, adjacent to the Zorba Courtyard in occupied Jerusalem, which colonists had previously seized. This move was considered an attack on a historical landmark and an attempt to alter the area's character.

The Governorate added that the iron gate has restricted the movement of residents in the area, while colonists performed Jewish rituals in the vicinity, as part of attempts to impose a new reality in the Old City.

Local sources reported that residents approached the Israeli police to demand the removal of the gate, but the police denied any involvement in its installation and took no action to remove it.

The residents warned that this step is part of a systematic policy aimed at controlling the public space in the Old City, imposing arbitrary measures that infringe on the rights of the residents, as well as harming the historical character of the place.

K.T