October 2019- An escalation in al-Aqsa Mosque…dozens of arrests and deportation…and two shootings incidents
Wadi Hilweh Information Center issued its monthly report for October 2019, in which it monitored the Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem.
The center said that the most prominent violations of the occupation during the past month were in al-Aqsa Mosque, where the occupation authorities implement their plans to divide al-Aqsa Mosque, especially during Jewish holidays, where thousands of settlers stormed al-Aqsa during three Jewish holidays.
The Israeli occupation forces also fired shots at one of the boys in the Old City of Jerusalem under the pretext of “attempting to carry out a stabbing attack”, and another young man under the pretext of “attempting to run over soldiers”, while daily arrests continued in the neighborhoods and villages of Jerusalem, and the occupation municipality stepped up the demolition of facilities under the pretext of "unlicensed construction."
Al-Aqsa Mosque
During the month of October, during the Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur and the Throne (Sukkot) holidays, the alleged temple groups mobilized their members to organize mass break-ins during the "morning and afternoon" break-in sessions, which take place throughout the week except for Fridays and Saturdays.
The center added that 6338 settlers stormed al-Aqsa, including 3690 settlers during the "Sukkot" week, and 574 settlers during "Yom Kippur". Among the intruders was the Minister of Agriculture in the Israeli government, where he stormed al-Aqsa twice on "Yom Kippur and Sukkot " in addition to dozens of rabbis.
The center pointed out that the settlers deliberately stormed al-Aqsa with special “holiday clothes” and performed special prayers and rituals inside al-Aqsa courtyards, and some of them performed public prayers guarded by the Israeli police. They also carried out marches and prayers around the clock outside the gates of al-Aqsa.
During the Jewish holiday period, the Israeli occupation authorities imposed restrictions on the entry of Muslims to al-Aqsa, by holding their identity cards at the gates and preventing some from entering until the end of the two periods of incursion (i.e. after 2:30 pm), in addition to heavy deployment of Israeli intelligence in al-Aqsa courtyards, and the filming of worshipers with phones and video cameras. Also, they random summoned women and men for investigation.
Israeli intelligence and police prevented worshipers from sitting in the area of Bab al-Rahma, and worked to remove them from the area to secure the settlers'incursions. They also handed in summonses, carried out arrests, and issued expulsion ordersfrom al-Aqsa for anyone who sits or is present during the periods of the settlers' incursions.
The occupation authorities also continued to take out some of the contents of Bab al-Rahma chapel, especially the "closet of shoes and wooden partitions" designed to separate places of prayer for men from women, and the Israeli police continued to storm the mosque and tour it with their shoes.
The Israeli occupation authorities continued the policy deporting Palestinians from al-Aqsa, the Old City, or entire Jerusalem. The center monitored the issuance of 24 deportation orders from al-Aqsa Mosque, 7 from the Old City of Jerusalem, 2 from Jerusalem and 1 from the West Bank.
The center also pointed out that one of the deportation orders was issued against the Jerusalemite Majid Jubeh, where the Israeli occupation authorities issued for the fourth time in a row a decision to deport him from Jerusalem and prevent him from entering the West Bank for 6 months, in addition to giving him a list of young Jerusalemites who are forbidden to communicate and talk with them. The center pointed out that Jubeh received the first deportation order a year and a half ago. Before the end of the deportation period, he is summoned and handed over a renewal.
Shooting
On October 28, Israeli occupying forces shot 16-year-old Mohammed Khaled al-Sabah in the area of Hutta Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, seriously wounding him for allegedly carrying out a stabbing attack.
The center explained that he was wounded by three bullets in the back and hand, and underwent surgery after he was arrested and transferred to Shaare Zedek Hospital. The boy remained in custody in the area of Hutta Gate and was physically searched by the Israeli occupation forces despite his injury. The medical staff provided him with first aid and then transferred him to the hospital.
The center added that the Israeli occupation forces prevented residents from providing first aid or approaching the boy.
In October, the Israeli occupation forces also shot Firas Mahmoud Hallaq, 26, from Jerusalem, while he was driving his car near Al-Amari refugee camp at the southern entrance of Ramallah, under the pretext of "attempting to carry out a run-over". He was severely wounded in his hand and the lower limbs “pelvic area", and he underwent several surgeries. He was released after about two weeks of injury and detention, after refuting the Israeli army's claims. Hallaq confirmed that the soldiers shot him after stopping his vehicle and searching him where they found a “shaving machine "without the blade, and started shouting that he was a “terrorist”!!!
Arrests
In October, Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored 188 cases arrests from Jerusalem, including 12 women, 5 children under the age of responsibility / under 12 years old, and 39 minors.
The center pointed out that the arrests were concentrated in the village of Issawiya where 59 people were arrested, followed by al-Aqsa Mosque and its gates (53 people), and Old City of Jerusalem (30 people), in addition to arrests from the neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
Among those arrested last month were the Jerusalem Governor Adnan Ghaith, Deputy Director of Al-Aqsa Endowments Sheikh Najeh Bkeirat "during the suppression of a seminar in the city," and the Imam of al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Ismail Nawahda as he passed through Qalandia checkpoint and was released on condition of expulsion from al-Aqsa.
Demolition
the city of Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a permit. The center monitored the demolition of 17 structures, in which 4 of them were self-demolished by their owners to avoid paying fines and demolition costs to the occupation municipal staff and accompanying forces.
The center added that the demolition affected parts of a residential building, 5 houses, 8 containers, 1 commercial facility, 1 room and 1 warehouse.
Suppression of events
Last month, the Israeli occupation forces continued to suppress events in Jerusalem. A march supporting the Palestinian prisoner, Samer al-Arbid, that marched in front of Hadassah al-Issawiya Hospital in Jerusalem where he was in critical condition was suppressed by the occupation forces. They also suppressed a solidarity sit-in held in Salah al-Din Street in Jerusalem with prisoners on hunger strike, and a seminar on the "Palestinian civilization and the fight against it" under the pretext of being organized by Hamas movement.
In early October, the Israeli occupation forces raided the headquarters of Augusta Victoria hospital in Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and searched some of its department, especially the "Cancer" department.
Issawiya
During the month of October, the campaign of “assaults and abuse” continued in the village of Issawiya, which began last June. Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained that the Israeli occupation authorities continued their assaults on the residents of Issawiya village with daily raids and continuous presence in the streets and neighborhoods of the village, as well as establishing checkpoints on the entrances of the village and the streets, raising and searching houses and harassing merchants by storming their stores and imposing various taxes on them. The Israeli occupation municipality continued to issue demolition orders and stop construction in the village.
Last month, the Israeli occupation forces destroyed the memorial of Martyr Mohammed Samir Obeid, in the place where he was martyred, and the Israeli occupation forces stormed Al-Arba’een mosque in Issawiya several times, and stormed a medical center under the pretext of checking surveillance cameras.
