The raids in the eastern part of the city, and especially inside the Esplanade of the Mosques, is a constant in recent times, said Sabri, who held the position of Grand Mufti (Sunni Muslim jurist) of Palestine between 1994 and 2006.

He also condemned the expulsions of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods, which are epicenters of the struggles against the occupation in the eastern part of Jerusalem.

The neighborhood gained international notoriety for last year’s massive demonstrations, when Israeli courts resumed orders to confiscate the homes of four families who have lived there for generations.

The legal and political battle surrounding the case became symbolic of the future of that part of the city, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state, a position supported by most countries, whereas the Israeli authorities declared Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of the country in 1980, a position rejected by the international community.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs revealed last month that almost 220 Palestinian families, numbering 970 people, are threatened with expulsion from their homes in East Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities.

According to various non-governmental organizations, some 200,000 Israeli settlers live in that area and more than 490,000 in the rest of the occupied West Bank.

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