Jerusalem stalls permission for hotel after bereaved Oct 7 families expose developer’s Hamas ties

The suit claims that Hamas constructed tunnels and maintained operational infrastructure beneath properties, using them in attacks that resulted in the deaths of civilians and soldiers.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Jerusalem municipality has pulled a proposed land allocation near the Old City from the district planning committee’s agenda pending what it called a “thorough review,” following objections from bereaved Israeli parents and a member of Knesset over the identity of the intended developer.

Rubi Chen, Eyal Waldman, and Yizhar Shai urged city officials to halt plans to grant land opposite the Old City to Palestinian businessman Bashar al-Masri for a hotel project.

In their appeal, the parents pointed to an ongoing lawsuit in the United States filed by approximately 200 families of victims of the October 7 massacre, alleging that al-Masri financed Hamas and permitted the group to operate from properties he owned in Gaza, including a seaside hotel and an industrial zone close to the Israeli border.

According to the families, the suit claims that Hamas constructed tunnels and maintained operational infrastructure beneath those sites, using them in attacks that resulted in the deaths of civilians and soldiers.

The parents said allowing the same businessman to receive land in Jerusalem for a hotel project would be unacceptable.

MK Amit Halevi said he had contacted both the head of the Shin Bet and the chair of the Jerusalem District Committee, Shira Talmi, through legal counsel to seek the immediate removal of the plan from consideration.

He said it was inconceivable that a figure accused in court filings of assisting Hamas could be granted state land in a sensitive area overlooking the Temple Mount for commercial development.

Halevi added that he stood with the families pursuing legal action in the US, saying their case presents extensive evidence linking al-Masri’s Gaza properties to Hamas operational activity during the October 7 attacks.

In response to the objections, the municipality confirmed that the proposal would not advance while officials examine its broader implications. City authorities said the review would determine whether the plan should return to the committee’s agenda at a later stage.