According to the Palestinian President’s Office for Jerusalem Affairs, around 13,000 Palestinians that reside in the city have been threatened with being displaced to pave the way for the construction of Jewish-exclusive homes, museums, social spaces, and synagogues.

The adviser to the Palestinian President’s office, Ahmed Al-Ruwaidi, issued a statement on 11 January remarking that the Israeli authorities are preparing for local excavations and the opening of tunnels around the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in a bid to expand Israeli settlements in the vicinity.

Ruwaidi urged UNESCO to investigate Israel’s violations of Jerusalem’s cultural heritage. 

“Despite the importance of the decisions issued by this organization, its decision to send an investigation committee has not been implemented because the occupation authorities have previously prevented the arrival of its delegation to Jerusalem, which does not justify the continued delay,” Ruwaidi said.

Last month, a Haartez report disclosed that Tel Aviv refused to grant 13,000 Palestinians residency in Jerusalem.

Over several years, human rights organizations have submitted petitions to Israeli courts, arguing that the Ministry of the Interior has denied many Jerusalemites their right to residency.

Despite this, Tel Aviv’s supreme court has ruled that Palestinian residents in Jerusalem are “native people,” entitled to equal rights, and should not be classified as immigrants.

However, Israeli authorities have constantly warned Palestinians that they would be stripped of their residencies and legal rights over slight deviations if they did not comply with Israeli laws.

In March of last year, former Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid met with King Abdullah II of Jordan over talks regarding the security situation in Jerusalem.

According to a Jordanian statement, Jordanian King Abdullah II told Lapid that Israel’s plans for increased settlement building, on top of declaring Jerusalem as its “eternal and indivisible capital” capital, have undermined the process of a two-state solution.

Additionally, on 28 December, the Jordanian king warned the Israeli government not to cross Jordan’s “red lines” when it comes to Jerusalem’s holy sites.