- The Israeli government has established an inter-ministerial team to plan the confiscation of dozens of Palestinian-owned properties near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, aiming to "Judaize" the Old City and consolidate Israeli control.
- The plan targets 15 to 20 historic Palestinian properties along Bab al-Silsila road, including Islamic endowments from Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman periods, risking the forced displacement of Palestinian families.
- Over 20,000 Palestinian-owned homes in East Jerusalem, particularly in Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah, Al-Bustan and Ras al-Amoud, already face demolition orders as part of a systematic campaign to shrink the Palestinian presence.
- Since late 2022, the Netanyahu administration has accelerated de facto annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, approving the largest land grab in decades by claiming nearly 2,000 acres as "state property" and approving new illegal settlements.
- Some Israelis assert a divine right to the territory, with fringe plans to demolish Al-Aqsa and rebuild a temple gaining mainstream traction, raising apocalyptic interpretations and fears of catastrophic escalation in the region.
Israel is moving forward with plans to steal Palestinian-owned property near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem – a move described as an escalation of Israeli attempts to "Judaize" the city.
The government announced on Monday, May 18, that it would set up an inter-ministerial team to assess the possibility of confiscating parts of the occupied city. The move signals what critics say is the most aggressive push yet to consolidate Israeli control over the contested Old City.
According to Israeli reports, the team will decide how to expropriate dozens of properties along the perimeter of the city's Jewish quarters leading into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is already being subjected to continuous settler attacks, land grabs and demolitions. The team will be headed by the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage and will be given a year to submit a feasible initiative to the government, according to Channel 12.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin said the plan aims to reinforce the "development and strengthening of the Israeli capital" and "exercise control over the [Jewish] Quarter in its entirety." The move could result in the seizure of 50 buildings and the forced displacement of all the Palestinian families who live there, adding to the already staggering number of demolition orders hanging over Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem.
A dangerous escalation of colonialism
The Jerusalem Governorate condemned Israel's action. A statement described the move as "a dangerous escalation of colonialism aimed at displacing Jerusalemite residents and consolidating Israeli control over the area surrounding Al-Aqsa."
The statement detailed that the plan "targets between 15 and 20 historic Palestinian properties along the Bab al-Silsila road, owned by Jerusalemite families, and including buildings and Islamic endowments dating back to the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods." This highlights that Tel Aviv seeks to "impose new realities of Judaization" on the Old City of Jerusalem.
Currently, over 20,000 Palestinian-owned homes in East Jerusalem face demolition orders. The hardest-hit neighborhoods include Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah, Al-Bustan and Ras al-Amoud. These communities have long been at the center of a systematic campaign to shrink the Palestinian presence in the city, with families facing eviction to make way for Israeli settlers.
"Wherever the government wants, it can take and expropriate Palestinian property," said Aviv Tatarsky, Israeli researcher for NGO Ir Amim, underscoring the lack of legal recourse for Palestinian residents under Israeli military occupation.
Broader land grab accelerates
Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's most recent government took office in late 2022, authorities have accelerated plans for the de facto annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In February, the Israeli government approved a land registration process allowing Israel to claim territory in the occupied West Bank as "state property" if Palestinians cannot prove ownership. A few weeks later, dozens of new illegal settlements were approved.
The Israeli government has claimed almost 2,000 acres in the West Bank as state-owned land, a move described by rights groups as the largest land grab on occupied Palestinian territories in decades. The growth of Jewish settlements in the West Bank is considered illegal under international law, yet the current administration has shown no signs of halting expansion.
Apocalyptic interpretations and religious claims
According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, the planned seizure of Palestinian properties near Al-Aqsa mosque is part of a deliberate strategy to dispossess Palestinians and replace the mosque with a new temple. This action, framed by some as a divine right, is a dangerous escalation that threatens regional stability and violates the rights of the Palestinian people.
True enough, many Israelis now assert that it should be exclusively theirs and consider it a divine right to claim the territory while attempting to eliminate all Palestinian people. Moreover, there are plans to demolish the Al-Aqsa mosque and rebuild a new temple in its place, which some interpret as an indication of impending apocalyptic events. These ambitions, long considered fringe, have gained mainstream traction within certain political circles, fueling fears among Palestinians and regional observers that the conflict is entering a dangerous new phase.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, has been a flashpoint for decades. Any move to alter its status or seize surrounding properties risks igniting wider unrest across the Muslim world. With the new inter-ministerial team now tasked with drawing up concrete plans, the coming year will be critical in determining whether the international community takes meaningful action to prevent what many describe as a catastrophic escalation in one of the world's most volatile cities.
Watch this video about how the West Bank's resistance has shocked Israel.
This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.
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