OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
Majid Abu Qutish, a leader in Hamas, confirmed that the Israeli implementation of the project to move the Walaja military checkpoint in southwestern Jerusalem is a deliberate act of oppression against Jerusalemites, restricting their movement and denying them access to their lands and properties, as part of the plan to displace the residents of the holy city.
Abu Qutish pointed out that the fierce campaign launched by the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) against Jerusalemites does not stop at this racist project but includes numerous arbitrary measures, restrictions, deportation decisions, in addition to ongoing arrests targeting those defending al-Aqsa Mosque.
He emphasized that the current period is filled with assaults on Jerusalem, while settlers are planning to escalate their aggression in the coming days coinciding with the Jewish holidays, which necessitates intensifying efforts to head to al-Aqsa Mosque.
Abu Qutish stated, “The Judaization ambitions do not stop; in fact, the appetite of the IOA and its settlers is growing in light of the disturbing silence and indifference from regional and international parties, which witness the assaults and crimes being committed without any reaction to deter those aggressions.”
He added, “We urgently need to stand up to our responsibilities towards the city of Jerusalem, to confront the occupation forces and settlers, and to thwart their Judaization plans, as Jerusalem and al-Aqsa are a trust in the hands of our people and our Arab and Islamic nation.”
He pointed to the necessity of using all means and tools to protect Jerusalem and al-Aqsa from this grave aggression and the IOA desperate attempts to impose temporal and spatial division plans, ultimately leading to complete control over al-Aqsa.
He reminded of the need to continue mobilization and steadfastness at al-Aqsa Mosque and to confront the extensive incursions by settlers in the coming days, as settler groups and the so-called Temple Mount groups are preparing for a series of incursions and violations of the sanctity of al-Aqsa at the beginning of October.
The Mosque is anticipating one of the most severe seasons of aggression against it during the Jewish holiday season from October 3 to 24, marking a peak in the existential threat it may face since its occupation.
The IOA has completed the project to move the Walaja military checkpoint in southwestern Jerusalem, which is expected to be operational in the coming days, thereby preventing the residents of the village of Walaja from harvesting olives as the season approaches.
The occupation forces began in May 2023 to relocate the Walaja checkpoint 2.5 kilometers to incorporate more of the village’s lands (240 dunums) within the apartheid wall.
The IOA allocated 3 million shekels for this project, and its danger lies in denying Walaja farmers (who hold Palestinian identity) access to their lands and water springs, notably Ain al-Haniya.
