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LONDON: Israeli settlers on Monday vandalized several graves in the Bab Al-Rahma cemetery, which borders the eastern wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate reported that the cemetery is repeatedly attacked by settlers perform Talmudic rituals in the area in an attempt to claim it. Israeli authorities are also conducting excavation work in the area to build a base for a cable car project that will encircle the Old City.

The Bab Al-Rahma cemetery covers approximately 1.2 acres and houses the graves of notable companions of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as warriors from the 1187 conquest of Jerusalem.

The Israeli government plans to convert part of the cemetery into a “biblical garden” as part of a broader plan to Judaize the Old City, the governorate said.

The area features a gate that was closed in the 16th century, providing direct access to Al-Aqsa Mosque from the eastern slopes of Jerusalem without having to navigate the alleyways of the Old City. Currently, Palestinian Muslims use gates on the western and northern sides to enter the compound, while settlers use the Mughrabi Gate, which Israel fully controls.