November 2016: A Martyr…arresting 167 Palestinians….and demolishing 17 establishments in Jerusalem
Wadi Hilweh Information Center issued its monthly report for November 2016 in which it monitored the Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem.
The information center said that the occupation forces murdered a Palestinian child at Shu’fat Refugee Camp last month while the Israeli authorities continued executing arrests and demolitions in the city.
A Jerusalemite Martyr
On the 25th of November, the occupation forces murdered 14-year old Mohammad Nabil Zidan Salam at the checkpoint of Shu’fat Refugee Camp in Jerusalem under the pretext of attempting to stab a security guard while passing through the checkpoint; the authorities continue to detain his body for the second week.
Detaining Martyrs’ bodies
The occupation authorities continue to detain the bodies of Palestinian Martyrs as a way to punish their families. They have been detaining the body of Martyr Musbah Abu Sbeih for nearly two months and the body of Mohammad Salam for two weeks.
Last month, the Israeli authorities released the body of Nasib Emran Abu Meizar after detaining it for two months. They imposed strict rules on releasing the body and only allowed 15 people to participate in the funeral. Furthermore, they ordered the family to deposit an amount of money to ensure commitment to the rules, and conditioned them to bury the body in Al-Mujahedeen” Cemetery in the area of Herod’s Gate. They also prevented them from taking any pictures or recording the funeral.
Al-Aqsa Mosque…attempts to ban the “Call to Prayer”
In a new way to violate the “right to worship" in the Palestinian lands, the Israeli authorities attempted to ban the “Call to Prayer” over loudspeakers under a new bill called the “Call to Prayer law”. Voting to the new article in its preliminary reading at the Knesset was supposed to be held last week but was postponed for one week. In its first version, the bill banned the use of loudspeakers while calling to prayers but was then modified to only banning the Call to Prayer at night (Dawn Prayer) under the pretext of “disturbing Israeli citizens” who suffer on a daily basis from the noise caused by the Call to Prayer at mosques.
Settlers continued violating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and 1178 settlers broke-in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque during the morning and afternoon break-in session which were conducted through Dung Gate that has been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967.
The Israeli authorities isolated in November 6 Palestinians from Al-Aqsa Mosque for periods that varied between two weeks and 3 months. They also deported 6 Jerusalemites from the Old City of Jerusalem including 3 minors.
Arrests
Israeli authorities continued executing arrests in the city of Jerusalem and arrested 167 Palestinians from the city of Jerusalem including 6 women (one elderly), 72 minors, two elderly and 8 children under 12 years old (age of responsibility).
The center said that the occupation authorities continued targeting students in Jerusalem as seven students from the Old City of Jerusalem and Silwan were arrested. They also arrested two teachers from a school in Ras Al-Amoud, Silwan and requested the director of another school for interrogation at the police center claiming that students from that school threw stones.
The geographical distribution of arrests was as follows: Esawyeh (39), Old City of Jerusalem (31), Silwan (35), Shu’fat Refugee Camp (13), Jabal Al-Mukabber and Al-Tur (9 each), Beit Hanina (3), Wadi Al-Joz and Shu’fat (2 each), one from each of Beit Safafa, Al-Sowaneh and Sheikh Jarrah in addition to several other arrests from the Old City and Al-Aqsa gates.
During November, the occupation authorities transferred three Jerusalemite prisoners to administrative arrest.
Demolitions
The occupation municipality demolished 17 establishments in the city of Jerusalem during the month of November including 5 establishments that were self-demolished following an order by the municipality and to avoid paying high fines and actual imprisonment.
Demolitions reached a new level in November as the foundations of a Mosque were demolished as well as graves in Al-Rahmeh Gate Cemetery that is adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque. Five homes, 3 barracks, 3 commercial establishments, a garage and an agricultural room were also demolished.
The geographical distribution of demolitions was as follows: Jabal Al-Mukabber (5), Silwan and Beit Hanina (3 each), Al-Tur (2), Sur Baher and Esawyeh and Wadi Al-Joz (1 each) and several graves at Al-Rahmeh Gate Cemetery.
