Jerusalem: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli approval of a plan to seize Palestinian properties near Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, describing the move as ‘ethnic cleansing.’

According to Anadolu Agency, the ministry denounced what it described as an Israeli scheme targeting properties in the Bab al-Silsila neighborhood adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque inside Jerusalem’s Old City. The move is seen as a ‘dangerous colonial step’ aimed at expanding settlement control around Al-Aqsa and displacing Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem.

The ministry warned that targeting Bab al-Silsila, one of the main historical routes leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque, reflects a systematic Israeli policy aimed at emptying areas surrounding Al-Aqsa of their Palestinian residents and imposing new realities on the ground. They called on the international community, including the UN and UNESCO, to reject the measures and provide protection for Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem.

Earlier, the Jerusalem governorate announced that the Israeli government approved a plan to seize between 15 and 20 Palestinian properties, including buildings and Islamic endowments dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman eras. The plan was based on a recommendation by former Israeli Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition Meir Porush and a government decision dating back to 1968 under the pretext of ‘enhancing Jewish control and security.’

In recent years, Israeli authorities and settlement organizations have intensified efforts to seize Palestinian properties in occupied East Jerusalem, particularly in the Old City and the neighborhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan. The UN considers settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law and warns that they undermine the prospects of a two-state solution.