JERUSALEM, May 16, 2026 (WAFA) – The Jerusalem Governorate warned against the consequences of Israeli authorities' approval on Sunday of a plan to force Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to evacuate their homes and commercial shops in the Bab al-Silsila neighborhood adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
The governorate said the move would allow Israeli authorities to seize properties in the area under the pretext of “strengthening Jewish control and security,” based on a government decision dating back nearly 58 years and a recommendation issued by Israel’s former Minister of Jerusalem and Heritage.
In a statement, it considered this step a dangerous escalation of colonialism targeting the heart of the Old City of occupied Jerusalem and paving the way to a new phase of forced displacement and the consolidation of colonial control over historic Palestinian properties.
The governorate emphasized that the Bab al-Silsila neighborhood is one of the most important historic routes leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that targeting it carries political and religious dimensions beyond property disputes, as a part of a border efforts to impose new Judaizing realities within the Old City and empty the areas surrounding Al-Aqsa.
It noted that Israeli Army Radio reported that the Israeli government intends to approve the implementation of a “confiscation and expropriation” process targeting Palestinian properties along the Bab al-Silsila route.
The move is based on a previous recommendation issued by the so-called "Minister of Jerusalem and Heritage" in the resigned occupation government, Meir Brosh, in mid-July 2025.
The governorate noted that the targeted area includes historically significant Palestinian properties dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman eras.
The targeted area includes the historic Tashthamariyya School, one of the Old City’s most important historic educational institutions, including a Quranic school for children, a school for religious studies, and the tomb of the Mamluk prince Tashtamar al-Ala'i and his son Ibrahim.
According to historical records, the area also included Khan al-Fahm, the Shawain Market (also known as the Cooking Market), the Harrafish Stairs, and the Mubaydeen Market, in addition to numerous Islamic buildings and endowments that were historically dedicated to the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
It called upon the United Nations, UNESCO, and relevant international organizations to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities and take immediate action to halt these colonial policies targeting the Palestinian presence in the Old City and the area surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Y.S
