Bethlehem: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' seizure of land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the town of Silwan in occupied Jerusalem on June 15, 2026.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, the ministry reported that the seizure was accompanied by the expulsion of the Patriarchate's representative from the site, the confiscation of equipment, the uprooting of trees, and the fencing off of the land with gates and barriers.
The ministry stated that this action represents a direct violation of the sanctity of church property and challenges the established religious and historical ownership rights of the Palestinian people and their global religious heritage in the holy city.
In its statement, the ministry emphasized that the land, officially registered in the Patriarchate's name and adjacent to a historic monastery with significant religious and archaeological landmarks, is protected under international law. This includes international humanitarian law, which prohibits the confiscation or seizure of private and religious property in occupied territories and criminalizes any forced alteration of its status or character.
The ministry warned that this attack is part of a systematic policy aimed at taking control of church properties and altering the historical, religious, and demographic character of occupied Jerusalem. This includes targeting the indigenous Christian presence, which has long been an integral part of the city's identity and a testament to the Palestinian presence and civilization in Palestine.
The ministry stressed that these illegal measures do not grant any legal rights to the occupation and do not change the legal and historical status of East Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian land. It stated that all annexation, confiscation, and seizure measures are null and void under international law and have no legal validity.
The ministry held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the attack and its consequences, urging an immediate halt to all arbitrary measures targeting church properties. It called for the restoration of the previous status and guaranteed unrestricted access to Christian lands and holy sites without interference.
The ministry also appealed to the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, take urgent action to stop these violations, provide international protection for Christian and Islamic holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, strengthen the international presence on the ground, and hold the occupation authorities accountable for their ongoing systematic violations.