The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has strongly condemned the storming and appropriation of “al-Hamra” land by Jewish settlers in Silwan town, in Occupied Jerusalem.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Patriarchate affirmed that a group of settlers stormed a plot of land owned by the Greek Orthodox church without any legal decision.
 
The Patriarchate further pointed out that the settlers broke into its five-dunum (5,000 sqm) piece of land under Israeli police protection, considering it a serious attack on its properties.
 
The Patriarchate also stressed its total adherence to all its properties and endowments, vowing to make all possible effort to protect and defend the Orthodox rights.
 
Earlier on Tuesday, dozens of Jewish settlers and police seized a plot of land owned by the Greek Orthodox church in Silwan town.
 
The Hamas Movement has strongly denounced the appropriation of “al-Hamra” land, considering it "a new Zionist crime and part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to Judaize Jerusalem, expel its residents and tighten the noose around the Aqsa Mosque."