The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned an Israeli plan to seize up to 20 properties near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, calling it “ethnic cleansing”.
The properties are located in the Bab as-Silsila area adjacent to the mosque, considered Islam’s third-holiest site.
The ministry said the move was part of a broader effort by Israel to gradually displace Palestinians from the area while expanding the number of Israeli residents.
Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal under international law and are widely viewed as a major obstacle to the creation of a future Palestinian state.
