April 2019: Thousands of settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque…demolishing dozens of homes…and continuing the arrest policy against Jerusalemites
Wadi Hilweh Information Center issued its monthly report for April 2019 in which it monitored the Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem.
The center said that the occupation authorities and the "alleged temple" groups continued their violations in Al-Aqsa Mosque, while the Israeli occupation authorities stepped up their policy of demolishing houses and agricultural and animal facilities in various areas of Jerusalem, and also continued executing arrests in the villages and neighborhoods of the city.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Settlers intensified their incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque during the daily break-in sessions, except on Fridays and Saturdays, through Dung Gate, which has been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of the city of Jerusalem. In April, 3658 settlers and Jewish students broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque. The first week of April witnessed large incursions on the occasion of the "Passover" holiday as 2230 settlers stormed the mosque during that week. Many of them performed their prayers inside the courtyards of Al-Aqsa, or on its doors from the outside. The Minister of Agriculture in the occupation government, Uri Ariel, led the settlers’ incursions twice in April, as the incursions come amid restrictions on the entry of Muslims to Al-Aqsa by holding their IDs and searching them at the gates of Al-Aqsa and placing iron barriers.
The Israeli police continued to prosecute young men who open the chapel of "Bab Al-Rahma" inside Al-Aqsa, where they arrested five Jerusalemites and isolated them from the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Israeli authorities continued to issue isolation orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque against Jerusalemites. The Information Center monitored the issuance of 18 isolation orders from Al-Aqsa, including a woman. The judge also issued a decision prohibiting two young Palestinians from traveling abroad.
Arrests
The Israeli occupation authorities continued executing in the city of Jerusalem. Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored 130 cases of arrests in Jerusalem, including 4 children under the age of responsibility (under 12 years), 45 minors and 2 women.
The geographical distribution of the detainees is as follows: 43 from Esawyeh, 20 from Silwan, 14 from the Old City, 14 from Shu'fat refugee camp, Anata and Hizma, 28 from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the roads leading to it, 5 from Al-Tur; 2 from Jabal Al-Mukabber, 2 from Kufor Aqab, and one from each of Beit Hanina and Sur Baher.
Among the detainees last month was the governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, who was arrested after breaking into his home in the village of Silwan, and was released on condition of not communicating with figures and work colleagues.
Demolition
The Israeli municipality has stepped up demolitions in the city of Jerusalem under the pretext of "building without a permit" at a time when it imposes hard conditions and high costs to obtain a "building permit".
The information center monitored the demolition of 51 facilities in the city of Jerusalem (11 self-demolished): 10 houses, 5 rooms, 26 barracks for livestock, 2 fences, 2 parking lots, 1 residential barracks, 2 stores, 1 balcony, 1 commercial facility and 1 residential building.
The geographical distribution was as follows: 23 in Jabal Al-Mukabber, 7 in Sur Baher, 11 in Silwan, 3 in Shu'fat refugee camp, 3 in Um Tuba, 3 Old City of Jerusalem, and 1 Beit Hanina.
Suspending IDs
The Minister of Interior in the Israeli occupation government decided to withdraw the identity of the two Jerusalemite prisoners, Ishaq Arafa, 31, and Munir Rajabi, 47. The center pointed out that Arafa is sentenced to a life sentence and 60 years, while Rajabi is sentenced to 20 years in prison.
At the beginning of April, settlers from the "Price tag" gang destroyed the windows of vehicles and slashed their tires, as well as writing racist slogans, in the village of Beit Hanina, north of Jerusalem.
The Israeli occupation authorities continued to prevent events in the city of Jerusalem. Last month, a sports activity in the village of Beit Safafa in Jerusalem, organized by the Forum of the people of Jerusalem and the League of Jerusalem clubs, was prevented by a decision fromthe Minister of Internal Security, Gilad Ardan. It is a sports activity, the first championship for the Forum of the people of Jerusalem, where there were 12 Jerusalemite teams from the villages and neighborhoods of Jerusalem for the age group 12-13 years.
