A high-ranking Palestinian official says Emirati companies have been purchasing plots of Palestinian land in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds and then transferring their ownership to Israelis.  

Kamal Khatib, the deputy head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, made the remarks in an interview with Qatar’s pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

Those firms that buy the properties have offices in both the United Arab Emirates and the occupied territories.

The houses located around the al-Aqsa Mosque compound are now owned by Israeli settlers, who have been raiding the holy site, he said.

Earlier, some media outlets had reported on real-estate activities of UAE-owned companies in occupied al-Quds.

Palestinians believe the Israeli regime is on a systematic campaign to force them out of Jerusalem al-Quds.

PressTV-Israel has grabbed 85% of Palestinian land so far: Report

A new report says Israel has so far occupied more than 85 percent of historical land of Palestine in an unabated expropriation process.

Israel has been occupying the West Bank, including East al-Quds, since 1967. Ever since, it has been building settlements throughout the land, in a move condemned by the UN and considered illegal under international law.

The Palestinians, however, view al-Quds’ eastern sector as the capital of their future sovereign state.

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.