Israel to turn Islamic burial site into hotel

The exhumed bones of dead Muslims [Archives of Al-Aqsa Foundation] 

The Aqsa Heritage and Endowment Foundation has confirmed that the Israeli “local committee for planning and construction” in the city of Jaffa has conclusively ratified a bid by the Zionist investment company “Nakish” to build a tourist hotel on the site of the Islamic burial grounds of al-Qishleh. The planned hotel building will extend three floors below ground.

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In a statement released on Friday 16th April, the al-Aqsa Foundation asserted that it denounced and rejected the decision which effectively authorises the violation of the sanctity of dozens of graves located on the historic Mamluke Islamic burial site of al-Qishleh cemetery.

The statement explained that the Jaffa local committee’s decision came on the heels of another decision made by the “local committee” for the Interior Ministry in Liwa’ Tel al-Rabee’ [Tel Aviv], which had refused various and repeated appeals from the Foundation. This decision means that the city of Jaffa will be forced to witness the disinterment of the bones of dozens of Muslim dead, and the fresh violation of another Muslim burial site.