The Jerusalem Governorate monitored, in a report issued today, Saturday, the violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the governorate during the first quarter of this year.

The violations focused on brutal executions, arrests, de facto imprisonment orders, demolitions, evictions, deportation orders, and house arrests, in addition to daily raids on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Martyrs:

The Jerusalem Governorate documented in its report the death of five citizens during the first quarter of this year, as a result of various attacks by the occupation forces.

The martyrs are:

1- The boy Adam Sub Laban (18 years old), was martyred on January 26, after being shot by occupation soldiers at the Qalandia military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.

2- Worker Raafat Abdel Aziz Abdullah Hammad (35 years old), was martyred on March 12, after falling from the fifth floor while being chased by the occupation forces in a construction site in occupied Jerusalem.

3- Worker Maher Abdel Salam Sarsour, from the village of Sarta, west of Salfit, was martyred on March 15, while being pursued by the Israeli occupation forces.

4- Freed prisoner Kazem Zawahra, who died on March 18, succumbing to his wounds sustained by Israeli occupation forces on February 22, 2024, on Al-Zaim Road, east of Jerusalem.

5- Citizen Muhammad Hassan Hosni Abu Hammad (41 years old), who was martyred on March 25, after the Israeli occupation police shot him near the town of Al-Eizariya, east of Jerusalem.

Martyrs whose bodies are being held:

During the first quarter of this year, the Israeli occupation army detained the body of the Jerusalemite martyr Muhammad Hassan Hosni Abu Hammad (41 years old), bringing the number of bodies of Jerusalemite martyrs detained in the occupation’s refrigerators and numbered cemeteries until the end of last March to (46).

Colonists' attacks:

The Jerusalem Governorate documented (33) attacks by settlers, including one involving physical harm, which reflects a dangerous escalation in their attacks on Palestinian citizens, their property and their holy sites, as they all took place under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.

Injuries:

The governorate's report documented 33 injuries among Jerusalemites as a result of live and rubber-coated metal bullets, severe beatings, and cases of suffocation from tear gas.

Thousands of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa

(13,064) settlers stormed the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque during the first quarter of this year, under the protection of the occupation forces, in addition to (12,134) others under the cover of "tourism". They carried out provocative tours and performed Talmudic rituals in various areas of Al-Aqsa, in a direct violation of the sanctity of the holy place.

The occupation forces escalated their targeting of worshippers with unprecedented repressive measures, including preventing worshippers from performing I'tikaf (seclusion) on Friday and Saturday nights during Ramadan, despite this having been permitted in previous years. They also forcibly stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and forced worshippers to leave at gunpoint.

The escalation during Ramadan included the imposition of a strict military siege on Al-Aqsa Mosque, with three security cordons: the first surrounding the city of Jerusalem, the second surrounding the Old City, and the third at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque. This has led to a significant reduction in the number of worshippers compared to previous years.

The occupation authorities also imposed restrictions on the entry of suhoor and iftar meals and launched inspection patrols inside the mosque in an attempt to obscure the atmosphere of the holy month.

Targeting Jerusalemite figures:

Jerusalem has witnessed an escalation in the targeting of prominent Palestinian figures by the Israeli occupation authorities, with a series of decisions and attacks targeting the city's most prominent political and religious figures.

The occupation authorities handed Jerusalem Governor Adnan Ghaith a decision banning him from entering the West Bank for a further six months, a move aimed at restricting his political and administrative activities.

Israeli police also summoned Shadi Matour, Secretary of the Fatah movement in Jerusalem, for investigation and served him with a decision extending his ban on entering the West Bank.

The occupation forces raided the home of the head of the Supreme Islamic Council, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, in the al-Sawana neighborhood of Jerusalem and handed his family a decision renewing his ban from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite his travel outside Palestine at the time.

Arrests:

During the first quarter of this year, the Jerusalem Governorate recorded the arrest of (239) Jerusalemites, including (22) women and (18) children.

Occupation court decisions against detainees:

Actual imprisonment:

The Jerusalem Governorate monitored the issuance of (73) actual prison sentences by the occupation courts against Jerusalemite detainees during the first quarter of this year, including (32) administrative detention sentences, i.e. without specifying a charge, as these sentences reflect the occupation’s escalating policy in targeting detainees.

House arrest:

In the first quarter of 2025, the Jerusalem Governorate recorded the issuance of (27) house arrest decisions by the occupation authorities.

Deportation:

The occupation authorities issued (86) deportation decisions against Jerusalemites, and these decisions included (57) decisions to deport from the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and a large number of released detainees, journalists and activists were targeted, including a number of those who were deported outside Palestine.

Travel ban:

The occupation authorities cite security reasons to prevent Palestinians from traveling, particularly in occupied Jerusalem. During the first quarter of 2025, the occupation authorities issued two travel bans.

Demolition, bulldozing and seizure operations:

The occupation authorities carried out (91) demolition and bulldozing operations, including (26) forced self-demolition operations, during which Jerusalemites were forced to demolish their homes to avoid fines, and (53) demolition operations carried out by force by the occupation forces, in addition to (12) bulldozing operations, targeting Palestinian lands and streets, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, at a time when strict restrictions are imposed on obtaining building permits, making it almost impossible for Jerusalemites.

Demolition, Eviction and Land Seizure Notices:

The Jerusalem Governorate monitored (53) violations, including (19) demolition notices, (31) cases of land seizure, and (3) eviction notices.

Violations against Jerusalem institutions

Occupied Jerusalem has witnessed a dangerous escalation in Israeli occupation violations targeting various sectors and components of society. These violations have focused on educational institutions, media sectors, and humanitarian centers, in addition to ongoing attacks on Islamic holy sites.

One of the most prominent features of this escalation was the targeting of Palestinian educational institutions and curricula. The occupation also escalated its attacks on journalists and the media. The attacks also targeted humanitarian and international organizations, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Occupation forces stormed the agency's headquarters, closed its schools, and removed its logos.

Colonial raids also continued, targeting the Islamic children's cemetery in Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The occupation forces uprooted its wall and hung a sign prohibiting burials, claiming it was a public area belonging to the so-called "national park."

Targeting Libraries: Occupied Jerusalem has witnessed a dangerous escalation by the occupation authorities, systematically targeting libraries in a clear attempt to obliterate Palestinian national identity.

Colonial projects:

During the first quarter of this year, the occupation authorities approved (3) new colonial projects, and began work on two projects that had been previously approved, in addition to completing work on a previous project.

Since the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, the occupation authorities have sought, through several laws and measures on the ground, to alter the demographic situation in the city. Through these measures, they have succeeded in increasing the number of settlers in East Jerusalem from zero in that year to 230,000 to date. The occupation is seeking to add another 150,000 by realizing the dream of "Greater Jerusalem."

The "Greater Jerusalem" project is considered one of the most dangerous colonial projects threatening Jerusalem. It involves three large blocs: Gush Etzion, which includes 14 settlements in the southwest of Jerusalem; the Ma'ale Adumim bloc, which includes eight settlements extending from East Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley; and the Givat Ze'ev bloc, which includes five settlements and is located in the northwestern part of Jerusalem.

Through this project, the occupation wants to uproot 150,000 Jerusalemites who have the right to reside in the city but live behind the separation wall, and is working to replace them with 150,000 settlers in order to decide the demographic balance in the city in favor of the settlers, so that their percentage in the city is 88% compared to 12% Palestinians, and the percentage of Arabs in the holy city now amounts to 39% compared to 61% of the percentage of settlers.