June 2018- Hundreds of settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque…arresting 117 Palestinians…and demolishing 18 establishments
Wadi Hilweh Information Center issued its monthly report for June 2018 in which it monitored the Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem.
The center explained that the “Alleged Temple” groups continued their violations in Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection and support of occupation forces. Also, arrests and suppressing activities and events continued in the city while the occupation municipality continued demolishing establishments and sweeping lands.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
In early June (beginning of the last ten days of Ramadan), the occupation forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and attacked a group of fasting worshipers who recited the Holy Quran and arrested 12 citizens. They also besieged worshipers in Al-Qibali Mosque to provide the settlers with full access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The occupation forces also destroyed the hill of Bab Al-Rahmeh "east of the Al-Aqsa Mosque", where olive trees were uprooted and stone seats and stairs were destroyed, after hundreds of Muslim worshipers conducted a campaignin late Ramadan to clean, improve and beautify the cemetery under the slogan “Bab Al-Rahmeh is ours…cleaning and renovation”.
The occupation forces attempted to overtake a monitoring point designated for Al-Aqsa guards in the area of Bab Al-Rahmeh. The forces obstructed the work of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s guards through arrests and threats and prevented them from approaching the groups of settlers who stormed the mosque.
At the end of the month of Ramadan, a group of extremist female settlers tried to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque through several gates in conjunction with the Call for the Evening Prayer, and then again during the Call to the Night Prayer. However, the young men and the guards confronted them. Then the settlers were stationed in Al-Ghazali Square in the area of Lions Gate and performed their religious rituals and formed dancing rings.
In June, two settlers, under the supervision of the "Students for the Temple Mount" movement, held their wedding in Al-Aqsa Mosque with their children and sealed the wedding processions with a kiss inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Last month, 1463 extremists broke into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque through Dung Gate, which has been controlled by the Israeli authorities since the occupation of Jerusalem.
Deportation from Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa
Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored the deportation of 4 Palestinians from the Old City of Jerusalem and 11 Palestinians from the city of Jerusalem, while 8 Palestinians were isolated from Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Arrests
The Israeli authorities continued to execute arrests in the city of Jerusalem. Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored 117 cases of arrests in the city of Jerusalem last June. Among the detainees were 20 minors, 4 children under 12 years old – age of responsibility- age, and two females.
The geographical distribution of arrests was as follows: 26 from Shu'fat Camp, 14 from Old City Jerusalem, 14 from Esawyeh, 12 from Silwan, 10 from Al-Tur, 4 from Jabal Al-Mukabber, 2 from Al-Sowaneh, 2 from Shu'fat, 2 from Beit Hanina, 2 from Sheikh Jarrah, 29 from Al-Aqsa Mosque and its gates and the streets of the Old City.
Demolition
The Israeli occupation authorities continued to demolish residential, commercial and agricultural structures under the pretext of building without a permit. Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored the demolition of 18 facilities in the neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Three of them were demolished by their owners after threatening to impose fines on them.
The demolitions were as follows: 4 residential houses, 4 walls of tin plates and wires, 1 garage and 7 agricultural structures. In addition, 2 lands were swept.
The geographical distribution of the demolitions was as follows: 5 structures in Silwan, 2 in Sur Baher, 1 in Al-Tur, 1 in Wadi Al-Joz, 1 in Beit Hanina, 1 in Esawyeh, and 7 in Hizma village.
Detaining Martyrs’ bodies
The occupation authorities continue to detain the bodies of three Jerusalemite Martyrs. They are:Martyr of the prisoner movement Aziz Awaisat (detained since last May),Martyr Musbah Abu Sbeih (detained since October 2016), and Martyr Fadi Qunbar (detained since January 2017).
Suppression of social activities
The occupation authorities continued to prevent and suppress activities in the city of Jerusalem, under various pretexts, where the occupation intelligence prevented a reception on the National Day of the Russian Federation, organized by the Russian Embassy and the Palestinian-Russian Friendship Association, under the pretext of being organized by "terrorist organizations". The forces executed arrests, and summoned Jerusalemite figures that participated in the event. The occupation authorities also prevented a Ramadan “Iftar” for Jerusalemitesjournalistsorganized by the Chamber of Commerce in the city.
