PA official: Western Wall is “Islamic waqf” and “occupied,” does not belong to the Jews
PA Jerusalem District Spokesman Ma'arouf Al-Rifai: "We say that the Al-Buraq Wall (i.e., the Western Wall of the Temple Mount) and the Al-Buraq [Wall] Plaza are part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is an Islamic waqf (i.e., an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law). [It does not belong] to either the Orthodox or non-Orthodox [Jews]. It is occupied territory. We do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over it and there is no such thing."
[Radio Hawa Nablus, Facebook page, Feb. 23, 2026]
A waqf is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law. Palestinians define all of Israel as waqf, and thereby Israel exists on Islamic holy land. Palestinian leaders have explained that under Islamic law Muslims are commanded to free the waqf from non-Muslims.