Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs: Settlers’ seizure of a house in Al-Quds is ethnic cleansing

Occupied Al-Quds, (ST) – The Ministry of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Affairs affirmed that the settlers’ seizure of a Palestinian family’s home in the Old City of occupied Al-Quds ( Jerusalem) under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, is banditry and ethnic cleansing.

The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, reported by Wafa News Agency, that forcing the (Sub Laban) family to vacate their house near Al-Aqsa Mosque, in which they have been resided since 1953, seizing it and handing it over to settlers amounts to a war crime.

The ministry indicated that the occupation authorities apply the apartheid system in its worst forms in Al-Quds, where large numbers of occupation forces carried out the eviction of the elderly couple, Nora Ghaith Sub Laban, 68, and Mustafa Sub Laban, 72, in an aggressive manner, after provocations, harassment and assaults that lasted for 45 years. “The occupation authorities disregarded all International calls, including from the European Union, to stop this crime”, the ministry added.

The ministry warned that the seizure of the house of the (Sub Laban) family would be a prelude to the seizure of more Palestinian homes, especially in the Old City, the town of Silwan, the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and other neighborhoods in Al-Quds. It said that the seizure of the house coincides with a frantic settlement escalation taking place throughout the city, which includes plans to establish thousands of settlement units.

The ministry called on the international community to take immediate action to compel the occupation to stop all forced evictions, house demolitions, settlement expansion, continuous attempts to Judaize Al-Aqsa Mosque and incessant attacks on Palestinian sanctities.

Raghda Sawas