LONDON: Israeli authorities on Thursday shut down the offices of a Palestinian sports and football club inside the ancient walls of occupied East Jerusalem, under an order issued by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in the Israeli caretaker government. Members of the Abnaa Al-Quds Club, located in the Sa’diya neighborhood of Jerusalem’s Old City, could not access the club or its pitch, which sits next to the historic walls to the north, according to the Palestine News Agency. The club is also renowned for its social and cultural events. In October, it postponed a friendly football match against Shabab Al-Khaleel in Hebron due to Israeli forces launching a military operation in the city. The Jerusalem governorate said the closure was part of a new move targeting Palestinian national, sports and social institutions in Jerusalem, the PNA added. “The decision comes amid an ongoing Israeli escalation targeting Palestinian national institutions and activities in Jerusalem through closures, persecution and restrictions ... These measures seek to undermine Palestinian institutional and community life and further limit the spaces available to Jerusalemites to engage in sports, cultural and social activities,” the statement added. Ben-Gvir is a staunch settler activist and leader who became a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in late 2022. His party, Otzma Yehudit, won seven seats in last month’s Israeli election. Gadi Eisenkot, a former top general, is currently assembling a government that, if successful, will unseat Netanyahu and his coalition.