Palestinians warn against Israeli cable car plan in Jerusalem

Ramallah/Gaza, May 17 The Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas have warned against an Israeli plan to build a cable car network to East Jerusalem's Old City.

The Palestinian rejection and warning came on Monday after Israeli left-wing groups and Palestin lost their case before the Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Palestin argue that the project, linking the western and eastern parts of the holy city, would badly affect and change the city's ancient landscape. However, Israeli officials expected the project to start soon after the court's ruling.

The PA's Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Fadi al-Hadmi said in a press statement that "the approval of the project amounts to a dangerous escalation of settlements in East Jerusalem and deepens Israel's efforts to Judaize the city".

He warned that the project has serious repercussions on East Jerusalem and its residents, adding that implementing the plan will be at the expense of demolishing real estate and seizing Palestinian lands.

At a cost 200 million Israeli Shekels (around $59 million), the project was approved by the former Israeli government in January 2019.

The Israeli media reported that the cable car would shuttle some 3,000 people per hour and can solve heavy traffic around the Old City.

Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum said in a press statement that Hamas condemns the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling that allowed the cable car project in Jerusalem.

"The cable car is part of the continuous Israeli Judaization projects that seek to change and obliterate the city's Arab and Islamic features and its civilizational identity," Barhoum added.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are claimed by the Palestin, in the 1967 Middle East war.

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