تقرير القدس

Official data issued by the Jerusalem Governorate reported that the first half of this year (2024) witnessed a continuation of the crimes of the occupation and settlers in Jerusalem.

It stated in its report, which reached Jerusalem News, that 25,054 settlers have stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque since the beginning of this year.

Martyrs and injuries

The Jerusalem Governorate report stated that 23 martyrs were killed in the Jerusalem Governorate, including 5 from outside Jerusalem, including a Turkish tourist, and 10 children, the youngest of whom is Ruqaya Abu Dahuk (3 years old).

The report mentioned the death of the child Jinan Abu Sneina, and the freed prisoner and deported to the Gaza Strip, Zakaria Najib, during the occupation’s bombing and ongoing war on the Gaza Strip since last October 7.

The governorate's report drew attention to the occupation authorities continuing to detain the bodies of (41) Jerusalemite martyrs until the end of the first half of 2024, in refrigerators and cemeteries.

According to the report, 79 Jerusalemites were injured as a result of the occupation’s attacks, which included firing live and rubber-coated metal bullets, severe beatings, and cases of gas suffocation.

Unfair arrests and sentences

The Jerusalem Governorate recorded 708 arrests during the first half of 2024, including 73 children and 37 women. The occupation courts issued 205 actual prison sentences against Jerusalemite prisoners, including 135 administrative detention orders, and the highest sentences were against the Jerusalemite prisoner Rashid Al-Rishq for a period of 13 years and 10 months.

An increase in the frequency of actual prison sentences was noted, compared to the same period in previous years, as the first half of 2021 recorded 64 sentences, including 25 administrative detention decisions.

In the first half of 2022, 133 rulings were issued, including 36 administrative detention decisions, and rulings came in the first half of 2023, 192 rulings, including 76 administrative detention.

The report monitored 28 house arrest decisions issued by the occupation authorities during the first half of 2024, in addition to 54 deportation decisions; 31 of them were from Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to 5 travel ban decisions.

Demolition and bulldozing

During the first half of the year, the number of demolition and bulldozing operations in the Jerusalem Governorate reached 127 operations, including 42 self-demolition operations and 73 demolition operations carried out by occupation mechanisms, in addition to 12 bulldozing operations.

Attacks on Al-Aqsa

The Jerusalem Governorate report counted 25,054 settlers storming Al-Aqsa Mosque, while 19,118 stormed under the name of “tourism.”

The stormers of Al-Aqsa performed Talmudic prayers and rituals, and wore costumes during their storming of the Blessed Mosque on the days of “Purim.”

The occupation authorities continued their siege of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which they imposed since the seventh of last October by restricting the entry of worshipers into it.

The manifestations of the siege were evident through the occupation forces stationing at the gates of Al-Aqsa, placing iron barriers, stopping the arrivals and trying to obstruct and prevent their entry into the mosque.

During the first half of this year, the occupation forces restricted worshipers during Fridays and continued to impose restrictions on freedom of worship and the entry of worshipers into Al-Aqsa. They erected barriers at the gates of Al-Aqsa and at the entrances and roads of the Old City and the neighborhoods close to it, and assaulted worshipers by beating, pushing, and arresting them.

The occupation authorities determined the number of participants allowed to accompany the body, carry it, and pray over it at the “funeral” inside Al-Aqsa, as the number of people allowed to enter was set at a maximum of 10 people.

During the month of Ramadan, the occupation prevented worshipers from the West Bank from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque except through restrictions: including age, as it was determined, men over 55 years old and women over 50 years old, and issuing special permits for prayer that expire at five o’clock in the evening, meaning that the worshiper is able to perform the noon and afternoon prayers. He is forced to leave Jerusalem before performing the Maghrib, Isha, and Tarawih prayers.

The report indicated that the occupation forces stormed Al-Qibli Mosque more than once, during Ramadan, and expelled those secluded inside it, especially in the days that preceded and coincided with the so-called “Purim” holiday.

Attacks on Christian sanctities

The Jerusalem Governorate report stated that the occupation continued its attacks on Christian places and sanctities. On February 3, settlers attacked a German monk while he was walking in the Old City of Jerusalem. They attacked him by spitting and insulting Jesus Christ, peace be upon him.

This year, during March, the occupation prevented thousands of Christians from arriving in Jerusalem to commemorate Easter, Palm Sunday, the Via Dolorosa, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and to participate in religious rituals.

On May 3, the occupation forces tightened their measures and installed iron barriers with the aim of restricting Christians observing the “sad” Good Friday.

On May 4, the occupation deployed barriers in the roads and gates of the Old City in occupied Jerusalem to restrict Christians on the occasion of the celebration of Holy Saturday.

The occupation forces obstructed the arrival of Christian Jerusalemites to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, restricted their celebration of Holy Saturday, assaulted them, and arrested the Greek consul’s guard from inside the church.

During June, the occupation municipality handed over to the heads of churches in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Nazareth, and Ramla a decision that it would take what it called “legal” measures against them due to non-payment of real estate taxes (arnona), in contravention of the status quo agreement and international laws.

Settlement

The occupation authorities approved 13 new settlement projects, in addition to starting the implementation of more than 9 projects that were approved earlier. The occupation authorities also completed work on two other projects.

Targeting the governor of Jerusalem

The occupation authorities continued to impose an open-ended house arrest decision against the Governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, which began on August 4, 2022, without specifying a time period for its end. The occupation also renewed the decision to deport Governor Ghaith from the West Bank for a period of 4 months.