On December 11, 2017 , employees of the Nature and Parks authority accompanied by a staff from Israel Municipality in Jerusalem cut and removed tress from Al-Rahmeh Gate Cemetery that is adjacent to the eastern walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is believed that this step was taken within a plan to implement the so-called Talmudic Gardens in the area.

Reportedly, some settlement organizations confiscated- by the help of the occupation forces- seven dunums from the cemetery and isolated the area through barbed wires. Nature authority claimed having a confiscation order  at time.

Sheikh Mustafa Abu Zahra- a guardian of the cemetery- said that the occupation is violate the sanctity  of such place.

It was reported that the Israeli occupation forces provided full protection to the "Nature and Parks authority" crews that stormed the cemetery in the morning. They began to uproot and cut trees in the section known as the Silwan cemetery under the pretext of cleaning and building a wall in the area.
Noteworthy, the occupation forces and authorities obstructed and banned the burial of Jerusalemites in the southeastern part of cemetery since 2013. Also, rehabilitation and construction of new graves was prohibited as well.

Reportedly, the occupation authorities seek to seize the whole cemetery due to the fact that it is adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque from the eastern side . according to some Jewish beliefs, the entrance to the Temple Mount is through the Golden Gate(currently closed), which is founded in AL-Aqsa Mosque Wall from the side of the cemetery.

This case study is part of Kan'aan Project