JERUSALEM, May 25, 2026 (WAFA) – The Israeli occupation authorities issued on Tuesday an order to seize a large tract of Palestinian-owned land near the towns of al-Nabi Samwil and Beit Iksa, northwest of Jerusalem, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.
It said that the occupation authorities issued an order expropriating approximately 109.79 dunams of land under the pretext of the “public interest” and under the pretense of “developing and preserving an archaeological site” in the area.
It added that the targeted lands include agricultural vineyards and open areas, in a move viewed as an extension of policies aimed at seizing lands surrounding Jerusalem.
The order also indicated that the seizure procedures extend to the Nabi Samwil Mosque located above the archaeological site, raising concerns over potential harm to the religious and historical landmark.
The Jerusalem Governorate stressed that these measures were an integral part of a systematic policy aimed at taking over Palestinian archaeological sites under the guise of “development and restoration,” to further entrench a unilateral Israeli narrative of “sovereignty” over Jerusalem and exclude the Palestinian and Islamic narrative from the city’s public sphere.
K.F.
