Israeli settler turns 800 years old Islamic Shrine into house

An Israeli settler seized the Sheikh Ahmed al-Dajani Shrine, one of the oldest Islamic landmarks in occupied Jerusalem, dating back nearly five centuries, and converted it into a private residence.

The Jerusalem Governorate’s media office said in a press release on Thursday that the settler broke and replaced the shrine’s original lock before providing the place with fixtures, furniture and utilities, including electricity and water meters.

The settler also removed the Sheikh’s tomb inside the shrine and took down the commemorative plaque from its exterior wall, which outlined its historical and cultural significance.

A member of the Dajani family, responsible for maintaining and overseeing the shrine, discovered the settler violation during a routine visit to the site, prompting the family to file an official complaint with the Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem.

The municipality subsequently evacuated the settler from the shrine on Wednesday but has so far refused to hand over the new key to the family — a practice that was described by the Jerusalem Governorate as “another violation of the family’s right to oversee and access the shrine.”

The Jerusalem Governorate held the Israeli occupation authority in the holy city fully responsible for such a violation, describing it as a “full-fledged crime” and “part of an ongoing colonial project aimed at changing the Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity of Jerusalem.”

The governorate called on the international community — particularly UNESCO, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN Human Rights Council — to protect the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

It urged them to take action to curb the repeated Israeli violations against Palestinian holy sites, including shrines, cemeteries and landmarks, which are an integral part of the world’s cultural heritage.

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