Hassan: Five thousand Jerusalemites were threatened with eviction or demolition of their homes since the beginning of 2009

Ziyad Hassan, Executive Director of the Jerusalem International Foundation, warned of the current situation in the occupied city of Jerusalem, especially the “escalating attacks on holy sites, lands and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

In a statement to Quds Press, Hassan explained that the occupation is seeking to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews, and that the division draft is now ready for approval by political, religious and legal parties, and that “it will become a reality imposed on the nation if no steps are taken to combat this threat,” according to his warning.

The statement issued against the background of preparations for the Seventh Annual Conference of the Foundation due to take place next month noted that: “The Israeli efforts to displace the Jerusalemites are escalating as the number of those whose homes are listed for evacuation or demolition has reached almost 5,000 people since the beginning of 2009.” He warned of “the occupation’s unprecedented steps to displace entire neighbourhoods from Jerusalem.”

The Executive Director of the Jerusalem International Foundation also mentioned in his statement the removal of religious symbols and Islamic artefacts from the city.