Since it occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has set its intentions on securing perpetual sole control over the entire city through all manner of illegal measures, including establishing settlements, forcibly expelling Palestinian families from their homes, making it impossible for Palestinians to obtain permits to build legally, taking control of land through touristic projects and surreptitious land registration efforts, and more. But the most desired area for control is the Palestinian Old City and the so-called Holy Basin area around it (see What is the Holy Basin?).
Despite all this, a recent survey by the World Council of Churches has found that “property ownership in the Old City remains predominantly in Palestinian hands,” both private and Islamic waqf property.[ref]
This graphic shows the current breakdown of property ownership in the Old City among the various parties involved. As shown here, between private Palestinian property and Islamic and Christian waqf or religious endowment property, 96% of the Old City’s property remains in Palestinian hands.