Ramallah: Israeli occupation forces have banned Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem from burying their dead relatives in the northern part of the Bab Al Rahma Muslim cemetery, which has been seized by the Israeli Antiques Authority.
Residents of the Silwan neighbourhood often bury their dead in that particular cemetery, because other cemeteries are located very far away.
The Israeli regime had already banned residents from burying their dead in the southern parts of the cemetery when it was seized earlier this year.
Israel now controls 6,000 square metres of the 20,000 square metre cemetery.
The cemetery is considered sacred by Muslims and is adjacent to the holy Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Israeli Antiques Authority has shown great interest in the Muslim cemetery; officials escorted by heavily armed police officers have raided the site several times, smashing several tombs in the process, and even going so far as to exhume the bodies from some.
“The Israelis view the cemetery’s southern part as being part of the First Temple [Solomon’s Temple], and want the northern part to be incorporated as part of the Jewish national park,” said Jawad Siyam, a political activist and head of the Wadi Hilweh Information Centre.
“They are engaged in a step-by-step policy to take over the entire cemetery. By fragmenting the cemetery it will allow them to slowly swallow it piece by piece.”
On Tuesday, Israeli occupation soldiers prevented Palestinians from burying Khadeeja Abu Al Dulah, 70.
Al Dulah’s grandsons, who dug her grave, were arrested and prevented from taking part in her funeral.
The Israeli regime has went so far as to force Palestinians to exhume already-buried-bodies and rebury them elsewhere.
The Bab Al-Rahma Muslim Cemetery is overseen and run by the Muslim Cemeteries Preservation Committee of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, and is more than 1,400 years old.
It contains the graves of some of the companions of Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him), including Obada Bin Al Samet and Shaddad Bin Aws Al Taei, as well as the martyrs who died during the time of Salah Al Deen Al Ayoubi, who liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187.
“Even the dead are not spared from Israeli oppression,” said Siyam.
