Israeli occupation authorities have issued evacuation notices to several Palestinians in the Moroccan Gate area in the Old City of Jerusalem, instructing them to vacate properties and lands covering approximately nine dunums in the district, paving the way for expropriation.

Palestinian citizens living in the Moroccan Gate area said they were taken by surprise as Israeli authorities delivered notices calling for the evacuation of properties and lands. Those with ownership of lands in the designated area on the maps have been instructed to provide proof of ownership, with a 60-day window to file objections.

The targeted total area for the properties and lands outlined in the decision exceeds 8,725 square meters, and the Israeli occupation authorities plan to carry out settlement projects throughout the coming eight years, according to the residents.

Ziad Abu Sneineh, one of the notified citizens, said the aim is to seize this land for the establishment of a cable car project, which will become part of publ
ic transportation in occupied Jerusalem, facilitating the movement of settlers to and from the district.

Fakhri Abu Diab, a Jerusalem-based expert on settlement affairs, told WAFA that the Israeli occupation is executing a plan to ‘settle’ the issue of Jerusalem, particularly the vicinity of the Old City, including the area south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, close to the Moroccan Gate. The cable car, originating from the western neighborhoods of Jerusalem, will pass through this area and reach its eastern part.

He added that the occupation is seeking to realize its Judaization vision by linking everything to what it calls “developmental work” projects. However, it aims to eliminate the Palestinian presence in the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is located in the Old City of Jerusalem, on the long run.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA