Day 53: Al-Aqsa Flood Operation in the city of Jerusalem
On the 53rd day of “Al-Aqsa Flood” Operation, the fifth batch of the “exchange deal” between Israel and Hamas was completed, while the forces continued their siege imposed on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the municipality forced a Jerusalemite family to self-demolish their home.
The fifth batch of the deal
On the fifth day of the “humanitarian truce,” the occupation authorities released 30 Palestinian prisoners, while the Al-Qassam Brigades released 10 Israelis and two foreign nationals.
Among the released prisoners are 20 prisoners from the city of Jerusalem, all of whom are detained prisoners who “have not been tried.” Among them are 7 female prisoners who were arrested during the war, and they are from several areas in Jerusalem: Sur Baher, Silwan, Kufor Aqab, Wadi Al-Joz, Issawiya, Beit Hanina, and Shu’fat refugee camp. They are:
1. Mohammad Hamad; has been detained since July 2023
2. Nouh Bseiso; has been detained since August 2023
3. Thuraya Abu Al-Hawa; has been detained since October 2023
4. Mervat Azzeh; has been detained since November 2023
5. Aya Al-Tamimi; has been detained since October 2023
6. Hala Ghanem; has been detained since November 2023
7. Yazan Afaneh; has been detained since February 2023
8. Mu’taz Salaymeh; has been detained since July 2023
9. Muhammad Salaymeh; has been detained since July 2023
10. Malek Diba; has been detained since July 2023
11. Adam Abu Hamed; has been detained since February 2023
12. Mervat Hashimeh; has been detained since October 2023
13. Ahmed Salaymeh; has been detained since July 2023
14. Ali Alqam; has been detained since July 2023
15. Hamza Mughrabi; has been detained since February 2023
16. Muhammad Attoun; has been detained since January 2023
17. Fairouz Salameh; has been detained since November 2023
18. Qassam Attoun; detained in January 2023
19. Shaima Hindi; has been detained since October 2023
20. Mohammad Ahed Shatara; has been detained since September 2023
The occupation intelligence summoned the families of the prisoners to come to the “Rooms 4” police station. Immediately upon their arrival, their identities and mobile phones were seized, and then they were presented with the conditions for the release of their children, which were “not to gather, not to raise flags and banners, and not to set off fireworks.” The families were then detained in a courtyard until the release of their children.
The families explained that they are detained in an outdoor courtyard, despite the extreme cold, and are prevented from leaving the place until their children are released.
The families pointed out that when the prisoners are released, the guardian is taken to the intelligence vehicle and forced to immediately sit inside it in the back seat, and there is a police officer next to him. Then the detainee is brought to the vehicle and is not allowed to move or speak, and in many cases the prisoner does not know that his father is in the same vehicle due to the severe restrictions imposed on the prisoner and being forced to lower his head and handcuffing him.
The residents added that the forces bring the families to the door of their homes, then remove the handcuffs from the detainee's hands, and demand that they immediately enter the house.
The forces carried out raids into the homes of some male and female prisoners, in addition to raids into towns and neighborhoods and photographed the homes and their entire surroundings.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center quoted released prisoners as saying that prisoners in prisons have been suffering from harsh detention conditions since October 7th, “difficult daily living conditions with the withdrawal of all electrical appliances, poor and lack of food, prohibition of bathing and shaving their hair, prohibition of fasting and praying in the courtyards, in addition to medical negligence despite repression, injuries and severe pain.”
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center met the freed prisoner, Mohammad Ahed Shatara, “from Megiddo Prison,” and the freed prisoner, Hamza Mughrabi, from “Al-Damon” Prison, and a rash appeared on their bodies.
Mohammad Shatara explained that he suffers from pain, itching, and burns from a rash, in addition to an infection in his finger as a result of the assault and beating on him, pointing out that the prison administration refuses to provide treatment to the prisoners.
While the freed prisoner Mughrabi explained that every time he was referred for treatment at the prison clinic, he was given a new type of medication, but the skin rashes kept getting worse.
Released to hospital
The freed prisoner, Ahed Shatara, was released by intelligence at the gate of the “French Hospital” in Jerusalem. About that, his father explained, “A few meters away from Issawiya, the intelligence car that was transporting us was informed that there were confrontations in the village, so the intelligence refused to continue its way to the village, and returned us to the Al-Maskobyeh center, and then I was asked for an address outside of Issawiya to take us to. When I informed the intelligence that there was no other address, he told me: “He will not be released, and he will be in Al-Maskobyeh tonight.”
He added: "I informed the intelligence that my daughter-in-law gave birth in the hospital and the family members are over there. After many calls, he agreed to transfer us to the hospital on the condition that my son does not leave before three o'clock in the morning."
He said: “The intelligence vehicle brought us to the hospital gate, and Mohammad’s handcuffs were removed at the gate, and he was released, with an emphasis not to go home before three o’clock in the morning.”
Self-demolition
The occupation municipality forced, Mahmoud Osama Rajabi, to self-demolish his house in Beit Hanina, under the pretext of building without a permit.
Rajabi explained that the house has been in existence since 2019, and he lives in it with his family of four, and his wife is pregnant.
The area of the house is 100 square meters.
Rajabi pointed out that the municipality imposed on him a building violation amounting to “17 thousand shekels,” and a second violation amounting to 85 thousand shekels.
A continuous siege
The occupation authorities continue their siege imposed on Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing entry to it except for the elderly, most of whom are residents of the Old City.
The forces are also deployed at the gates of Al-Aqsa and the roads leading to it.
Settlers' incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque continue, and 96 settlers broke into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, guarded by the occupation forces.
The forces also continue to deploy at the gates of the Old City and the streets adjacent to it.
Arrests continued in the city of Jerusalem, and the center monitored the arrest of 4 young men.
