The Jerusalem Governorate issued its annual report on the crimes of the Israeli occupation in the Jerusalem Governorate during the year 2024. The report clarified the Israeli violations in the governorate, which revealed the truth about the crimes of the Israeli occupation during the year 2024, in all aspects of life.

Martyrs:

During the year 2024, (35) martyrs were killed in the Jerusalem Governorate, including: (7) from outside the governorate, and (14) children, the youngest of whom was a girl who was no more than 4 years old. During the year 2024, the occupation forces executed: Muhammad Abu Eid (32 years old) and his wife Duha Abu Eid (26 years old), the child Ruqayyah Abu Dahuk (3 years old), the child Suleiman Kanaan (17 years old), the child Wadih Awisat (14 years old), Muhammad Khaddour (19 years old), the child Muhammad Abu Sneineh (16 years old), Fadi Jamjoum (40 years old), Muhammad Manasra (31 years old), the child Mustafa Abu Shalbak (16 years old), the child Rami Al-Halhouli (13 years old), the young man Zaid Khalifa (23 years old), the child Abdullah Assaf (16 years old), the child Nour Shihabi (17 years old), the child Muhammad Hoshiya (12 years old), Muhammad Ghaleb Shihab (27 years old), Ahmad Nidal Aslan (20 years old), the child Shadi Shiha (16 years old), Khalil Ziada (37 years old), the child Hani Al-Qari (16 years old), Yasser Matar (20 years old), the child Hatem Ghaith (12 years old), Sami Al-Amoudi (40 years old), the child Omar Shuwaiki (17 years old), Tariq Ghazawneh (27 years old).

Outside the governorate, 7 martyrs were killed in Jerusalem: Muhammad Zawahra (26 years old), Ahmad al-Wahsh (31 years old), Nizar Hasasneh (34 years old), the child Mustafa Taleb (15 years old), the Turkish tourist Hasan Sakalanan (34 years old), Rami Taqatqa (44 years old), the martyr Muhammad Hamash, and the martyr Ziad Abu Subaih (33 years old). In the Gaza Strip, the child Janan Abu Sneineh was killed, as well as the freed prisoner deported to the Gaza Strip, Zakaria Najib.

File of the martyrs whose bodies are being held:

During the first quarter of 2024, the occupation detained the bodies of the Jerusalemite martyrs: Muhammad Abu Eid, the child Wadih Awisat (14 years old), the child Muhammad Abu Sneineh (16 years old), Fadi Jamjoum (40 years old), Muhammad Manasra (31 years old), the child Rami Al-Halhouli for 6 days and then handed him back, the child Nour Shihabi (17 years old).

During the third quarter of 2024, the occupation detained the bodies of the two martyrs, Muhammad Ghaleb Shihab (27 years old), and the child Shadi Sheha (16 years old). In the last quarter of 2024, the occupation detained the bodies of the two martyrs, Sami Al-Amoudi (40 years old), and the child Omar Shuwaiki (17) years old.

Thus, the number of bodies of Jerusalemite martyrs held by the occupation authorities in the occupation refrigerators and numbered cemeteries until the end of the year 2024 will be (45).

The crimes of the occupation against the Jerusalemite figures and national symbols in Jerusalem:

Under the far-right government led by herds of settlers, the occupation authorities continue their attempts to impose sovereignty over Jerusalem and its holy sites with the aim of imposing a new reality, and continue their racist policy against the national symbols of Jerusalem, headed by the Governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, who has been subjected to an open-ended house arrest decision by the occupation since August 4, 2022, without specifying a time period for the decision. During the year 2024, the occupation took several measures against Ghaith, the last of which was that the occupation’s Magistrate’s Court in the city of Jerusalem held a session to consider several accusations against Ghaith filed by the occupation’s prosecution, as the occupation is pursuing Ghaith on charges related to his role in the city of Jerusalem, and consideration of the accusations against Ghaith was postponed until February 16, 2025.

The occupation continued to target the Secretary of the Fatah Movement in occupied Jerusalem, Shadi Al-Mutawwar, the last of which was on August 12, when the occupation intelligence handed Al-Mutawwar a decision to renew his ban from the West Bank for six more months. It is worth noting that the occupation has been imposing military decisions on Al-Mutawwar for more than five years, and they are renewed periodically every six months.

During 2024, the occupation continued to target the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque and head of the Islamic Authority in Jerusalem, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri. One of the most prominent violations against him was when the occupation forces arrested His Eminence Sheikh Sabri and released him on the condition that he be removed from the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is noteworthy that during the month of July, lawyer Khaled Zabarqa indicated that there was direct incitement to liquidate Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, and the occupation prosecution did not move a finger. During October, the settlers again incited against Sabri and called on the extremist Ben Gvir to demolish his house in the Al-Suwana neighborhood in Jerusalem and displace him from Jerusalem.

The occupation court also renewed the administrative detention of the former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Engineer Khaled Abu Arafa, and during June the occupation released Abu Arafa, noting that his residency was revoked and he is deported from occupied Jerusalem.

The occupation authorities released the former Jerusalemite MP, Ahmed Atoun, after a year of administrative detention, noting that the occupation has been deporting Atoun from Jerusalem to Bethlehem for 13 years.

In May, the occupation forces attacked participants in the commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the passing of the Emir of Jerusalem, Faisal al-Husseini, by beating and pushing, which led to the injury of the director of the Prisoners Club, Nasser Qaws, and Ishaq al-Qawasmi, an employee of the Orient House.

The occupation issued a decision to place the Jerusalemite Sheikh Yousef Makharza under administrative detention for 6 months on charges of incitement and “calling on armies, scholars and media professionals to support Gaza.”

The occupation forces also arrested Yasser Darwish, a member of the Fatah Regional Command in Jerusalem, from his home in the town of Issawiya in occupied Jerusalem. The occupation soldiers brutally assaulted him and his family during the raid. All of his family members were transferred for treatment to Al-Makassed Hospital, and he was later released on bail.

In 2024, the occupation courts issued prison sentences against three imams and preachers of mosques in Jerusalem, for periods ranging from three years to one year and one month, on the basis of their conviction for incitement and support and solidarity with Gaza. They were arrested last year, where they were subjected to harsh interrogations. The occupation authorities issued a three-year prison sentence against Sheikh Jamal Mustafa from the town of Issawiya, a one-year and one-month prison sentence against Sheikh Mahmoud Abu Khudair from the town of Shuafat, in addition to a one-and-a-half-year prison sentence against Sheikh Naim Odeh from the town of Silwan, south of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Colonial attacks:

During the year 2024, the Jerusalem Governorate recorded about (159) attacks by settlers, including (19) attacks involving physical harm.

Compared to previous years, the number of settler attacks during the year 2021 was (110), during the year 2022, (489) attacks, including (112) physical harm, and during the year 2023, (225) attacks, including (50) physical harm.

Injuries:

During the year 2024, the Jerusalem Governorate monitored injuries resulting from the occupation’s use of excessive force against Jerusalemites in various parts of the occupied capital. (168) injuries were monitored as a result of live and rubber-coated metal bullets and severe beatings, in addition to cases of suffocation by gas.

Compared to previous years, the number of infections in the Jerusalem Governorate during the year 2021 amounted to more than (3000) infections, while the number of infections in the year 2022 amounted to (2486) infections, and during the year 2023 (543) infections.

Crimes against the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque:

In a clear and explicit violation of the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the settlers’ incursions continue during the year 2024, as 60,792 settlers and 41,001 under the name of “tourism” stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque during the de facto situation imposed by the occupation and called the morning and evening periods under heavy protection from the occupation forces, during which they performed Talmudic prayers and rituals, and performed prayers for Israeli prisoners and dead soldiers, and some of them wore costumes during the “Purim Festival”, and some of them wore Talmudic prayer tools (Teflin), in addition to performing public collective and individual prayers, raising the Israeli flag, attempts to slaughter animal sacrifices, and episodes of dancing and singing, blowing the trumpet, performing epic prostration, bringing in plant sacrifices, and performing and praying the “Priests’ Blessing”, wearing the white “repentance” clothes worn by the “temple” priests, performing the “Musaf” (Address) prayer collectively in the eastern courtyards, Abrogation, which is mixing the water of the Silwan spring, claiming that it is sacred to the Jews in their beliefs, and a number of intruders wearing prayer clothes and bringing in religious books, and other crimes that will be detailed below.

The most dangerous shift in Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of August was the occupation's attempt to impose a new political reality through repeated incursions by ministers and members of the occupation Knesset, and the extremist "Ben Gvir"'s statement about his intention to build a synagogue inside the blessed mosque, and to implement a policy that allows Jews to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque on an equal footing with Muslims. It is noteworthy that the extremist Ben Gvir stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque 4 times during the year 2024.

In a dangerous precedent, on Friday, October 4, two settlers wearing Jewish religious clothing, the “tallit,” stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque through Bab Al-Qattanin, one of the gates of Al-Aqsa located on its western side.

An occupation police station near Al-Aqsa Mosque:

In October, the occupation police announced its intention to build a three-story building near Bab al-Hadid - one of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque - on Al-Wad Road in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem, with the approval of the so-called head of the Israeli District Planning and Building Committee.

The occupation also doubled the number of surveillance cameras around Al-Aqsa Mosque a few days before the holy month of Ramadan.

Excavations under Al-Aqsa Mosque and preventing restoration:

On March 30, one of the trees in Al-Aqsa Mosque fell. It is one of the mosque’s old and famous trees near the women’s mosque in the southwestern corner of Al-Aqsa. The tree fell due to excavations under the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is noteworthy that Al-Aqsa lost 19 of its trees over the course of 16 years, either due to the occupation’s excavations under it, or due to other climatic or agricultural factors.

On August 11, a stone fell from the wall of the Tankaziyya School onto the occupied Buraq Wall plaza west of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The occupation said that the fall of the archaeological stone was due to water leaking from the roof of the Tankaziyya School, which put pressure on the stones and the material binding them together.

During September, the occupation continued excavation and Judaization work in the Umayyad palaces area south of the Qibli Mosque and adjacent to the wall of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Compared to previous years, the number of invading settlers in 2021 was (39,344 settlers), while in 2022 the number was (60,089 settlers), and in 2023 (55,158 settlers), indicating that the number of invading settlers increased during 2024.

Crimes against Christians:

The violations of the occupation authorities and the attacks of the settlers against the Christian holy sites and Christians in occupied Jerusalem continue, without any serious intervention from the occupation authorities to prevent these attacks, which encourages them to continue their attacks without deterrence or punishment. During the year 2024, a number of attacks were monitored on Christian places and holy sites and clerics. In February, settlers attacked a German monk, the cleric Father Nicodemus Schnabel, the head of the Benedictine monks in the Holy Land, and assaulted him by spitting and cursing Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, while he was walking in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

During March, the occupation prevented thousands of Christians this year from reaching Jerusalem to celebrate Easter - according to the Western calendar - and the feast of Palm Sunday, the Via Dolorosa, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and to participate in religious rituals. The occupation refused to issue entry permits to Jerusalem for Palestinian Christians from the West Bank except in limited numbers and under restrictive conditions. Every year, Christian communities used to celebrate in the heart of the city of Jerusalem, where Christians from all governorates of the homeland gather, with the exception of Palestinian Christians in the Gaza Strip, whom the Palestinian occupation authorities prevent from reaching Jerusalem on all Christian holidays, despite the symbolism and importance of the city.

Arrests:

During the year 2024, the occupation forces launched extensive arrest campaigns among Jerusalemites, under flimsy pretexts, and (1287) arrests were monitored in all areas of the Jerusalem Governorate, including (112) children and (65) women.

Looking at the last three years, the number of arrests in 2021 was (2879 arrests), while in 2022, (3504 arrests) were monitored, and in 2023, the occupation arrested (3081) Jerusalemites, which means that the arrests monitored during the year 2024.

Decisions of the occupation courts:

The occupation courts impose unfair decisions on detainees, ranging from issuing actual prison sentences, imposing house arrest, in addition to deportation decisions and heavy fines, in addition to extending the detention of a large number of detainees for long months without bringing clear charges against them.

actual prison sentences

During the year 2024, the racist occupation courts issued (411) actual prison sentences against Jerusalemite prisoners, including (280) administrative detention sentences “that is, without clearly specifying the charge against them.”

In comparison with previous years, we find that the occupation issued a higher number of actual prison sentences, especially administrative ones, during the year 2024. During the year 2021, the occupation issued (157 actual prison sentences, including 43 administrative detentions), and in the year 2022, the occupation issued (276 actual prison sentences, including 96 administrative detentions), and during the year 2023, the occupation issued (330 actual prison sentences, including 153 administrative detentions).

House arrest decisions

During 2024, (51) house arrest decisions were monitored, issued by the occupation authorities against Jerusalemite citizens.

When comparing the number of house arrest decisions issued by the occupation in recent years, we find that the occupation issued fewer decisions during the year 2024. In the year 2023, the occupation issued (316 decisions), in the year 2022, the occupation issued (214 decisions), and in the year 2021, the occupation issued (176 decisions).

Deportation decisions

In the year 2024, the occupation authorities issued (102) deportation decisions, including (52) decisions to deport from Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Compared to previous years, the number of deportation decisions in 2021 was (473 decisions), while in 2022, (871 decisions, including 427 from Al-Aqsa Mosque), and in 2023, (740 decisions, including 561 from Al-Aqsa Mosque).

Travel ban decisions

The occupation uses security reasons to prevent Palestinians from traveling, especially in occupied Jerusalem. During 2024, 8 travel ban decisions were monitored.

Demolition operations:

The occupation authorities are pursuing a policy of demolishing citizens’ homes in occupied Jerusalem, which comes within the context of punitive measures, forced displacement, and ethnic cleansing of citizens, and the Judaization and “Israelization” of the occupied city. The occupation authorities justify the demolition of homes in general on the pretext that they were built without a permit, despite the scarcity of approval for the necessary permits to build homes for Jerusalemites.

During the year 2024, the number of demolitions in the Jerusalem Governorate amounted to (380) demolitions and bulldozing operations, including: (92 forced self-demolitions) and (259 demolitions carried out by occupation mechanisms), in addition to 29 bulldozing operations.

When comparing the number of demolitions carried out during the year 2024, we notice an increase in the pace of demolition and bulldozing operations compared to previous years. The number of demolition and bulldozing operations during the year 2021 reached (315 demolition and bulldozing operations), in the year 2022, (306 demolition and bulldozing operations), and in the year 2023, (337 demolition operations).

Demolition Notices:

During the year 2024, the occupation authorities delivered more than 130 demolition notices in various parts of the Jerusalem Governorate, in the Bab al-Amud area, the towns of Silwan, al-Jib, Hizma, Anata, Jaba, Jabal al-Mukaber, Kafr Aqab, and Shuafat camp, in the Abu al-Nuwar community east of occupied Jerusalem, and the neighborhoods of al-Bustan, Yasul, and Wadi al-Joz, and the al-Khunaidiq and Ras al-Nader areas in the town of Beit Anan northwest of occupied Jerusalem.

In May, the occupation forces notified the demolition of dozens of shops along the road linking the Jaba and Qalandia military checkpoints north of occupied Jerusalem, and a bridge linking the towns of Jaba and Al-Ram.

Violations against Jerusalem institutions and landmarks:

In continuous attempts to undermine the efforts of Jerusalemites inside the occupied capital, the occupation continues the policy of closing the institutions operating there and suppressing the activities that prove the presence and steadfastness of Jerusalemites in the occupied city.

The most prominent of these attacks during the year 2024:

Targeting educational institutions and Jerusalemite students and fighting the Palestinian curriculum, attacking religious sites and obliterating their features, incitement against international institutions in Jerusalem (UNRWA), violations against cultural institutions, attacks against journalists, targeting media institutions, obliterating the city’s features, attacking national events, targeting medical institutions, and attacks on sports institutions.

Colonial projects:

In its relentless and insanely accelerating pursuit to impose a new reality on the occupied city of Jerusalem and Judaize it, the occupation authorities implemented dangerous colonial projects during the year 2024, as the occupation approved (19) new colonial projects, and began implementing (12) projects that were previously approved, and completed work on (4) projects.