Alarming: Israel's Latest Dangerous Strategy Accelerates Al-Aqsa Mosque Judaisation

The Israeli government on Sunday (17/5/2026) approved a decision signed by the Israeli Minister of Heritage approximately ten months ago, which involves the seizure of houses and shops belonging to Palestinian residents in the Bab al-Silsila alley, East Jerusalem’s occupied Old City.

In a statement, the Jerusalem Palestinian Provincial Government said the Israeli occupation authorities today approved a plan to take over Palestinian properties in the Bab al-Silsila area, which directly borders the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem.

According to Israel Military Radio last Thursday, one of the streets in the Old City of Jerusalem is set to soon become a ‘conflict street’ following a vote that allows Jewish residents to enter the area and establish it as part of a Jewish settlement. The radio station noted that the Israeli government defines the seizure of property in the area as part of a measure to strengthen sovereignty in the region.

However, the move has triggered widespread concern among Palestinian residents and traders who have long resided in this strategic location, just steps away from the Al-Aqsa Mosque. A trader in the Bab al-Silsila alley, where all the shops in front of his own are expected to be seized, stated that traders and residents have been living in anxiety since news emerged that the seizure could become a reality.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net—where he requested anonymity due to fear of pressure and oppression, reported on Monday (18/5/2026)—he stated that the situation in this sensitive area would become a disaster if these properties are evacuated to facilitate the expansion of the Jewish area. To date, the area remains filled with a Palestinian presence that serves to counter the forced visual ‘Judaisation’ of public spaces, following decades of Jewish presence being established in the area.