February 2017: The occupation continues its violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque…detaining the bodies of two Jerusalemite Martyrs…escalating demolition operations…arresting 161 Palestinians
Wadi Hilweh Information Center issued its monthly report for February 2017 in which it monitored the Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem as the Israeli authorities continued violating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the occupation authorities executing demolitions against residential establishments. The occupation authorities also executed several arrests in the city and continued to detain the bodies of two Jerusalemite Martyrs in their freezers.
In a dangerous precedent, the occupation authorities closed Al-Nukhba School in the village of Sur Baher.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained in its report that the occupation authorities continued to detain the bodies of Martyr Musbah Abu Sbeih who passed away last October and Martyr Fadi Qunbar who passed away last January. The Supreme Court ratified the decision to demolish the house of the family of Martyr Qunbar.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
In a violation to the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Magistrate judge in Jerusalem said Al-Aqsa Mosque is the holiest place for Jews and they have the right to pray in it, and nobody has the right to prevent them from entering the courtyards of Al-Aqsa and reach the “Temple Mount” as he named it. Settlers continued their break-ins into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa through Dung Gate and under the protection of occupation Special Forces and police. Break-ins are divided into two sessions; morning and afternoon. In February, 1310 settlers including the former Israeli Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Moshe Viglin broke into Al-Aqsa.
The occupation police attempted last month to bring a mobile room made from Aluminum into Al-Aqsa Mosque through Lions Gate but the guards confronted them and prevented them from doing so.
Also, police individuals stormed into the Islamic Museum in February and prevented two employees of the construction committee from doing renovation works. They checked their IDs and asked them to head to Al-Qishleh police station in the Old City of Jerusalem under the pretext of “working without a permit from the police”.
The occupation police also continued in February to hold worshippers’ IDs (young men, women and elderly) before entering Al-Aqsa Mosque especially in the morning hours before the Noon Prayer. Also, the police continue to prevent nearly 60 Palestinians -mostly women- from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque as their names are listed on the so-called “black lists”.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored the deportation of one elderly from the Old City of Jerusalem and 6 young Jerusalemite men from Al-Aqsa Mosque for periods between two weeks and 6 months.
Education Affairs
In a dangerous precedent, the Israeli Ministry of Education decided to close Al-Nukhba Boys Elementary School in the village of Sur Baher and the Magistrate, District and Supreme judges ratified the decision under the pretext of “working without a permit and the school’s intent to teach curriculum that contradicts with the presence of the state of Israeli and is aligned with the philosophy of Hamas movement”. Two hundred and thirty (230) students are enrolled in the school from kindergarten to 6th grade and are now left without an educational institution that they attend; the school was opened at the beginning of the current school-year.
In February, occupation soldiers stormed into Silwan Boys Secondary School in Ras Al-Amoud, Silwan under the pretext of looking for stone-throwers. They also stormed into Dar Al-Aytam School in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Arrests
Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored the arrest of 161 Jerusalemites in February including 12 women (one elderly), 32 minors, 4 children under 12 years old (age of responsibility) and 5 elderly men.
The geographical distribution of arrests was as follows: Esawyeh (37), Old City of Jerusalem (30), Jabal Al-Mukabber (12), Shu’fat Refugee Camp (11), Kufor Aqab (8), Al-Tur (8), Beit Hanina (5), Sur Baher (3), Um Tuba (3), Al-Aqsa Mosque (5) and Wad Al-Joz (1) in addition to several arrests from the street of Jerusalem.
The occupation authorities targeted last month the families of Jerusalemite Martyrs and prisoner and executed several arrests after raiding and searching their homes. The Martyrs’ fathers were arrested, they are: Ghassan Abu Jamal, Odai Abu Jamal and Wisam Al-Mansi. The authorities claimed that family members were receiving financial support from Hamas movement as the movement supported the attacks carried out by their sons. After several hours of interrogation, they were all released.
Manar Ribhi Mjahed was also arrested in February after being shot at Qalandia checkpoint on suspicious of holding a knife when she only had her bag with her. She was shot in her lower limbs and is still under arrest and treatment. The forces also arrested Abdullah Anatai (minor) from Shu’fat Refugee Camp after being shot with a rubber bullet near his heart that caused a tear in his left lungs. Anati was interrogated despite being in the intensive care unit. Also, Adnan Al-Sha’er was injured with a deep cut in his cheek after being assaulted during the arrest; he is the father of a Jerusalemite prisoner.
The forces also stormed into Al-Maqased hospital in Jerusalem and arrested a young man from the city of Jenin upon arrival with his mother to the hospital.
Demolition operations
The occupation municipality continued executing demolition against commercial and residential establishments in several neighborhoods in Jerusalem under the pretext of building without a permit when they impose “incapacitating” measures to obtain building permits not to mention the long waiting years and exorbitant money.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored the demolition of 14 establishments including 4 establishments that were self-demolished by the owners following orders issued by the municipality in order to avoid fines and imprisonment.
The establishments that were demolished by the municipality in Jerusalem were 7 residential houses, 2 residential buildings, 2 commercial establishments, 2 residential rooms and 1storage.
The geographical distribution of the demolitions was as follows: Hizma (5), Beit Hanina 93), Silwan (3), Esawyeh (2) and 1 in Sheikh Jarrah.
In February, the municipality displaced 37 Palestinians from their homes including 19 children.
The occupation authorities also confiscated a 300-sqauere meters land owned by Ghazlan family in the area of Al-Ein in Silwan under the pretext of “gardening and public benefit”.
