Israel demolishes historic stairway leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque

The Israeli Jerusalem Municipality yesterday demolished a historic stairway which leads to the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s Lions’ Gate (Bab Al-Asbat) and the Old City of Jerusalem.

The head of the Committee for the Preservation of Islamic Cemeteries in Jerusalem, Mustafa Abu Zahra said the Jerusalem Municipality’s teams, accompanied by a bulldozer, stormed the Bab Al-Asbat area and demolished the stairway leading to the Yusufia cemetery.

According to Abu Zahra, the demolition is part of the Israeli authorities’ plan to establish the “Biblical garden path” inside the cemetery which contains the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as many ancient and modern graves.

The cemetery is about 4,000 square metres.

Abu Zahra called on all Jerusalemites to “unite in order to protect Jerusalem’s landmarks from the Israeli occupation’s oppression”.

The Israeli occupation’s municipality in Jerusalem did not comment on the demolition.