OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The Jerusalem Governorate revealed, in a report released on Thursday, a notable escalation in Israeli violations during the first quarter of the current year, including increased incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the acceleration of settlement projects, as well as the intensification of demolition operations, forced displacement, and land seizures, in the context of a systematic quest to reshape the demographic and geographic reality in the city.
Attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque topped the scene, as the Governorate documented the incursion of 9,373 settlers into the Mosque, in addition to 16,505 who entered under the cover of “tourism,” under heavy protection from the occupation police and continuous restrictions on the access of Muslim worshipers, especially during the month of Ramadan.
It pointed out that the continuous closure of Al-Aqsa, since February 28, is no longer a passing security measure, but has turned into a tool to reshape the existing reality, by restricting the entry of Palestinians and controlling their numbers and ages, leading to the reduction of the Islamic presence in the Mosque.
The same period also witnessed repeated attempts to introduce Talmudic rituals, and incitement to offer “sacrifices” inside its courtyards, in an effort to impose new facts that affect the historical and legal status of the holy site.
In the same context, the Governorate documented during the first quarter of the current year, the martyrdom of six citizens, 419 cases of arrest, and the incursion of 9,373 settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
It also recorded the occupation’s proposal and approval of 53 settlement plans during the three months, in an indication of the accelerating pace of colonial expansion in Jerusalem.
According to the data, these plans included the depositing of 17 projects to build 2,592 settlement units on an area of approximately 1,256 dunums, along with the approval of nine plans to build 860 units, as well as the floating of new tenders involving thousands of units and economic and commercial projects, within the framework of strengthening the settlement presence and changing the landmarks of the city.
Demolition and forced displacement
The report monitored 147 demolition and bulldozing operations, including 113 operations carried out by occupation machinery, and 23 cases of self-demolition in which Jerusalemites were forced to demolish their homes, in addition to 11 bulldozing operations targeting Palestinian lands and property.
The Governorate also documented the issuance of 214 notices, distributed between 146 demolition decisions, 62 forced displacement decisions, and six land seizure decisions, concentrated particularly in the town of Silwan, the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood, and Anata, in favor of Jewish settlement associations.
The report stressed that these measures come within a systematic policy to push Palestinians toward forced displacement, and undermine their presence in the city, by targeting housing and sources of livelihood.
In this context, the Governorate documented 419 cases of arrest, including children and women, as part of daily raid campaigns targeting the homes of Jerusalemites and checkpoints, and affecting activists, journalists, and liberated prisoners.
There were also 106 injuries recorded as a result of attacks by occupation forces and settlers, which varied between shooting, beating, and teargas, and were concentrated in the vicinity of the separation wall and several areas, including Al-Ram, Silwan, and Qalandia refugee camp.
The report monitored 153 attacks carried out by settlers, including shooting, burning property, seizing homes, and closing roads, in addition to attacks on Islamic and Christian sanctities, all of which took place under the protection of occupation forces.
The report noted that these violations, from Al-Aqsa incursions to settlement expansion, demolition, and displacement, falls within an integrated policy aimed at imposing de facto sovereignty over Jerusalem, and changing its demographic and historical character, taking advantage of the absence of international accountability.
The Governorate emphasized that this escalation reflects a systematic attempt to gradually exclude the Palestinian population, and impose new realities on the ground.
Meanwhile, Jerusalemite sources revealed, on Thursday, that extremist Temple groups carried out more than five attempts to bring animal sacrifices into the courtyards of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, in an indication of an unprecedented escalation in the targeting of the Mosque during the current period.
According to the data, the number of attempts recorded during one day is a record number, reflecting the escalating determination of the Temple groups to perform “sacrifice” rituals inside Al-Aqsa, in response to calls launched by the so-called “Union of Temple Organizations” to mobilize its supporters and try to reach the Mosque by all means.
The sources explained that some of these attempts managed to reach the outer gates of Al-Aqsa, without succeeding in entering the Mosque, in light of the strict measures imposed by the Israeli occupation forces and its closure in the face of these attempts.
The occupation forces continue to close the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the thirty-third consecutive day, preventing worshipers from reaching it, under the pretext of the security situation related to the American-Israeli war on Iran.
This closure comes in conjunction with the escalation of calls from what are known as “Temple Groups” to open the Mosque during the period of “Passover,” extending between April 2 and April 9.
These groups demand permission to slaughter “sacrifices” inside the courtyards of the Mosque, in parallel with the escalation of incitement and calls to establish the alleged “Temple” in its place, which raises fears of imposing a new reality in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and changing its historical and legal status.
The year 2025 witnessed three unprecedented attempts to bring animal sacrifices into Al-Aqsa, including two attempts to slaughter them after bringing them in, and another that included bringing in pieces of meat smeared with blood.
Since February 28, and with the start of the Israeli-American attack on Iran, the occupation authorities have imposed a strict closure on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, covering most days of the month of Ramadan, including preventing the holding of Eid al-Fitr prayers, in a step that reflects a striking escalation in the targeting of Islamic sanctities.
