LONDON: European diplomats expressed concern on Thursday over the Israeli authorities’ decision to close the Burj Al-Luqluq community center in the walled city of East Jerusalem.

A statement read: “For decades, the center has provided vital educational, cultural and sports programs, particularly for children and youth. This decision risks undermining the indispensable work of independent Palestinian civil society organizations in East Jerusalem.”

European diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah have urged Israeli authorities to protect civic space, ensure access to essential services in East Jerusalem, and allow Burj Al-Luqluq to resume activities without delay.

The missions making the appeal were from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK, according to the Palestine News Agency.

Israeli authorities on Thursday closed Burj Al-Luqluq for six months. It is one of the few community associations that provides youth activities in the Old City.

The center is strategically situated next to the northern and eastern walls of the Old City. It is the second-largest open area within the city’s walls, after the Al-Aqsa compound.

Founded in 1991, it offers sports, cultural, and social programs, along with women’s empowerment initiatives. It also provides a kindergarten, a computer lab and life skills training, and benefits between 300 and 500 people daily.

Israeli forces sealed the building’s doors by welding them shut and prevented access after delivering a closure order, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.

The governorate called the move a serious escalation in actions targeting Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, which undermined residents’ rights to dignified living and safe community spaces for children and youngsters, the WAFA added.