Palestinian ministry slams Israel’s move to control Muslim shrine as part of ‘expansion plans’

The Palestinian Endowments Ministry has denounced Israel’s move to place a Muslim shrine on Islamic waqf land under the authority of the regime’s antiquities authority, saying the measure serves its “settlement and expansion plans.” Israeli forces raided several areas of Tulkarm in the northern occupied West Bank on Sunday and posted notices placing the Bint Yaqub shrine under the authority of the Israeli antiquities authority, according to official Palestinian news agency WAFA. The Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry, in cooperation with Tulkarm Municipality, restored and rehabilitated the site between 2002 and 2004. The Palestinian Endowments Ministry condemned the Israeli move, saying the shrine is located on Islamic waqf land. The ministry described the designation as part of an Israeli policy aimed at “seizing and confiscating endowment lands to serve its settlement and expansion plans.” It called on international and human rights organizations to intervene urgently to halt violations and to protect Islamic endowment lands and properties from confiscation and seizure. Sunday’s Israeli raids also targeted Izbat Abu Yasin in the village of Iktaba, the village of Al-Hafasi and other areas, where similar notices were reportedly posted concerning large tracts of land on the grounds that they contain archaeological sites. Hamas condemns Netanyahu’s illegal entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque Hamas slams Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu The measures come amid broader Israeli efforts to expand its authority over archaeological sites in the occupied West Bank. In February, the Israeli regime expanded the powers of the Civil Administration’s archaeology officer to include measures concerning archaeological sites in areas partially administered by the Palestinian Authority, according to the Israeli organization Emek Shaveh. In May, the Israeli Knesset approved, in a first reading, a bill to establish a civilian “Heritage Authority” under the Israeli Heritage Ministry to oversee archaeological and heritage sites in the occupied West Bank instead of the Civil Administration’s archaeology unit. Further progress on the bill later stalled, according to Emek Shaveh.