OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate monitored a wide and systematic escalation in Israeli occupation crimes in the past month of May, which included various aspects of life in the city, and directly affected the Palestinian residents and their holy sites.
In its monthly report, the governorate documented the martyrdom of three Palestinians, and the storming of 7,244 settlers into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to recording 101 cases of arrest, more than 67 deportation decisions, and 84 demolition and bulldozing operations, in the context of a policy aimed at imposing a new reality in the city and consolidating colonial control over it.
Field killing and targeting Palestinians
The occupation forces continued to pursue the policy of field killing, which resulted in the martyrdom of three Palestinians in areas north of Jerusalem.
The young man Ayman Al-Hashlamon was martyred on 11 May, succumbing to his injury by occupation bullets during the storming of Qalandia camp, while worker Zakaria Qadis was shot dead on the following day near the separation wall in the town of Al-Ram while trying to reach his workplace.
On 31 May, Imad Shtayyeh was martyred, succumbing to his injury by bullets in the same area. The occupation forces also detained the body of one of the martyrs, in a clear violation of human rights.
Unprecedented escalation in Al-Aqsa Mosque
During May, Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed a qualitative escalation in violations, as 7,244 settlers stormed it, in addition to 2,690 who entered under the cover of tourism.
These incursions were accompanied by performing public Talmudic rituals, and attempts to introduce offerings and raise flags inside the courtyards of the Mosque. The Friday incursion during the so-called biblical Shavuot holiday recorded a precedent since 1967.
This escalation coincided with Hebrew occasions, especially what is called Jerusalem Unification Day, as temple groups intensified their incursions, and the occupation authorities sought to expand the scope of Jewish rituals inside the Mosque, in parallel with imposing strict restrictions on Palestinian worshipers, in an attempt to change the existing historical and legal status.
Injuries and settler attacks
The governorate documented 17 injuries during the month, as a result of using live and rubber bullets, beating, and gas attacks, in addition to pepper spraying by settlers, and the injuries were concentrated in Al-Ram, Qalandia camp, and Hizma, especially near the separation wall and during military incursions.
In the same context, settlers carried out 45 attacks, including nine physical attacks, targeting citizens, property, and Bedouin communities.
The attacks included stealing livestock, preventing farmers from accessing their lands, shooting, and attacking homes and holy sites, including Christian sites.
The attacks were concentrated east of Jerusalem, especially in the vicinity of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, within the framework of continuous intimidation.
Arrests and arbitrary judicial procedures
The occupation forces carried out 101 cases of arrest, including women and children, in wide incursion campaigns that included most neighborhoods of Jerusalem. The arrests were accompanied by the use of violence and insult, and were concentrated in Al-Isawiya, Hizma, Qalandia, Silwan, and the Old City. The town of Hizma witnessed the largest arrest campaign in its history on 20 May, affecting 27 citizens.
The occupation courts continued to issue arbitrary decisions, including actual and home imprisonment, fines, and deportation. The governorate documented 15 imprisonment terms, including 10 administrative detentions without charges, in addition to eight home imprisonment decisions. More than 67 deportation decisions from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City were also issued, in a policy targeting activists, journalists, and Murabitun.
Demolition, bulldozing, and emptying the city
The governorate documented 84 demolition and bulldozing operations, including 21 forced self-demolition operations, and 56 operations carried out by occupation machinery, in addition to seven land bulldozing operations. The operations were concentrated in Al-Ram, Silwan, Al-Eizariya, Sur Baher, and Jabal Al-Mukaber.
The Al-Mashtal area in Al-Eizariya witnessed one of the largest mass demolition operations, affecting about 40 facilities. The occupation authorities also issued 20 notices of demolition, eviction, and construction halt, in the context of using legal tools to enforce forced displacement.
Targeting institutions and settlement projects
Violations escalated against religious, educational, and media institutions, and included targeting journalists and shooting at them, searching ambulances, and confiscating public service equipment. The attacks also affected religious places, including an attempt to smash the door of the Prophet Samuel Mosque.
In parallel, the occupation authorities pushed forward new settlement projects, as the governorate documented 15 settlement plans, which included depositing three plans and building settlement units, and approving four plans including 547 units, in addition to proposing expansion projects in Ma’ale Adumim settlement.
These data reveal a comprehensive escalation in Israeli crimes in Jerusalem, targeting the Palestinian presence demographically and geographically, and undermining the basic rights of the population, in light of the absence of international accountability and the continuous imposition of facts by force.