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Israel to designate Jerusalem land ‘without verified ownership’ as ‘absentee property’

December 31, 2024 at 2:31 pm

Israeli security forces take security measures in the area in East Jerusalem on December 7, 2024 [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]

Israeli authorities yesterday announced a new measure to designate any land in Jerusalem which they deem to be “without verified ownership” as “absentee property”, under the so-called Absentee Property Law.

According to Wafa news agency, this move not only seizes ownership from Palestinian residents but also bars them from obtaining building permits on the affected lands.

The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the policy is already being enforced in areas such as Sheikh Jarrah and Jabal Mukaber, particularly targeting the Al-Qanbar neighbourhood and lands near the illegal Separation Wall in Abu Dis.

Officials warned that the scope of these actions is set to expand across Jerusalem, with particular focus on Silwan neighbourhoods, including Al-Bustan, Batn Al-Hawa and Ein Al-Lawza, exacerbating tensions in these already vulnerable areas.

The Absentee Property Law brought into force in the 1950s, is the legal means by which Israel has seized and transferred the ownership of thousands of properties belonging to Palestinians who were forced to flee, or were deported during the 1948 Nakba, which led to the creation of the occupation state of Israel.

It was the main legal instrument used by Israel to take possession of the land belonging to the internal and external Palestinian refugees, and Muslim Waqf properties across the state.

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