The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has 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."
In a statement Sunday, the ministry denounced what it described as an Israeli scheme targeting properties in the Bab al-Silsila neighbourhood adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque inside Jerusalem's Old City.
It described the move 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 the mosque, reflects a systematic policy aimed at emptying surrounding areas of their residents.
The ministry called on the international community, including the UN and UNESCO, to reject the measures and provide protection for Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Earlier Sunday, the Jerusalem governorate said the Israeli government approved a plan to seize between 15 and 20 Palestinian properties, including buildings dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman eras.
The governorate said the plan was based on a government decision dating back to 1968 under the pretext of "enhancing Jewish control and security."
In recent years, Israeli authorities and settlement organisations have intensified efforts to seize properties in the Old City and the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan.
The UN considers such settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law.
