OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque has entered its 34th consecutive day on Thursday, as tensions escalate across occupied Jerusalem and settler groups intensify calls to storm the site during the upcoming Jewish Passover holiday.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, Israeli authorities sharply escalated violations in Jerusalem throughout March, including issuing expulsion orders and carrying out demolition operations that displaced Palestinian families, while continuing to bar access to Al-Aqsa.
Israeli police forces have tightened military measures across occupied Jerusalem, particularly in and around the Old City, deploying heavily and maintaining strict restrictions on Palestinian entry to the Mosque.
At the same time, so-called “Temple Mount” groups have increased mobilization efforts, openly calling for mass incursions into Al-Aqsa during Passover, which runs from April 2 to April 9. These groups have also demanded the performance of religious rituals inside the Mosque compound, including animal sacrifices.
The developments come as Al-Aqsa remains closed since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28, depriving thousands of Palestinians of the ability to pray during most of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
Palestinian groups have called on residents of Jerusalem and Palestinians inside the 1948 occupied territories to head toward Al-Aqsa and pray at the nearest accessible points in protest of the closure.
In a parallel development, the Wadi Hilweh Center reported an increase in propaganda campaigns by settler organizations, which have used artificial intelligence to circulate simulated images depicting ritual sacrifices and a biblical altar inside the Mosque compound.
During March, Israeli authorities issued approximately 60 expulsion orders targeting Palestinians in and around Al-Aqsa and the Old City, with durations ranging from one week to six months.
The report also documented the killing of four Palestinians by Israeli police gunfire in Jerusalem and its surroundings, including in Jabal al-Mukaber, Bethlehem, and Qalandiya refugee camp north of the city.
On the demolition front, Israeli authorities forcibly evacuated 15 housing units in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, displacing around 90 Palestinians. An additional 12 structures were demolished in Silwan, Sur Baher, and Umm Tuba, leaving roughly 40 more people homeless. Authorities also demolished a memorial dedicated to martyrs in Shuafat refugee camp.
Arrest campaigns continued daily across Jerusalem, targeting various segments of society, including children, women, and the elderly, as well as Palestinians holding West Bank IDs. The number of detainees exceeded 330, including four young men placed under administrative detention, one of whom works for the Islamic Waqf Department.
In a notable incident, around 10 settlers attempted to present two goats as sacrificial offerings near Al-Aqsa Mosque before Israeli police intervened, detaining them and confiscating the animals.
Meanwhile, Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced an expansion of policies of arming settlers, extending eligibility to residents of 41 Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem. The move is expected to raise the number of armed Israelis to approximately 300,000, signaling a significant escalation in the city’s security landscape.