November 2024 in the city of Jerusalem
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem issued its monthly report for the month of November 2024, during which it monitored violations in the city of Jerusalem.
Last November, shootings and violations in Al-Aqsa Mosque continued, as did arrest campaigns, demolitions, raids, and settlers’ attacks.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Nearly 3,600 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of November, through the Dung Gate, whose keys have been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of Jerusalem. The storming takes place during two incursion periods: "morning from 7-11 am, and afternoon from 12:30-2:00 pm, on a daily basis, except for Fridays and Saturdays of each week, religious occasions and holidays.
The settlers performed their prayers and various rituals inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem explained that since August 13, "since the so-called anniversary of the destruction of the Temple", "public and collective" prayers have been held daily during the incursion periods, under the guard of the occupation forces that accompany them and provide them with full protection, while imposing restrictions on the entry of Muslims to Al-Aqsa during the two incursion periods.
The restrictions imposed on the entry of worshipers to Al-Aqsa continued, especially on Fridays during the “dawn and Noon” prayers, represented by setting up barriers on the roads leading to Al-Aqsa and stationing at its gates, subjecting those coming to it to search and checking their IDs, searching young men, preventing them from entering Al-Aqsa, pursuing them in the alleys of the Old City and forcibly removing them from it, and removing them from the gates and thresholds of Al-Aqsa, to prevent them from praying at its gates.
Shooting
The occupation forces continued to open fire in the city of Jerusalem during the month of November, and the Shu’fat refugee camp and the town of Anata in Jerusalem witnessed 3 shooting incidents:
• 19/11/2024 A young man was injured by the occupation forces’ bullets while walking by the Shu’fat refugee camp checkpoint north of Jerusalem, after bullets were fired at him.
• 8/11/2024 A Palestinian was injured by the occupation forces’ bullets during the storming of the Shu’fat refugee camp in Jerusalem, after bullets were fired at him while he was driving his vehicle at dawn.
• 7/11/2024 A young man was shot by the occupation forces during a raid in the town of Anata, while driving his vehicle at dawn.
Demolitions
Demolitions continued in the city of Jerusalem during the month of November, and the Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem monitored 22 demolition operations in the city, the most prominent of which were the demolition of the "Al-Shayah Mosque" and the "Silwan Protest Tent".
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained that the demolition operations were concentrated in the town of Silwan, especially in the Al-Bustan neighborhood, and the most prominent of which was the "protest tent", which was set up in 2009 in rejection of the demolition and forced displacement decisions. Over the past years, the tent was the main address for the activities of the entire town and for diplomatic delegations and human rights institutions, in addition to the demolition of the Al-Bustan Association, which organizes cultural and sports events and activities.
In 2004, the occupation municipality decided to demolish the entire Al-Bustan neighborhood to implement a plan to build the “King’s Garden” on its ruins. In 2005, it began distributing demolition notices and warnings. After international pressure, the movement of international and local human rights organizations, and diplomatic action, the demolition decisions were frozen. The residents, through teams of engineers and lawyers, began submitting master plans to organize and develop the neighborhood, open streets, and allocate sites for infrastructure and public facilities “such as schools and playgrounds.”
The occupation municipality suddenly decided in March 2021 to reject the engineering plans for the Al-Bustan neighborhood and not to extend the freeze on the decisions to demolish the neighborhood’s homes. Thus, the municipality renounced all agreements with the relevant authorities and those following up on the plans.
In November, the occupation bulldozers also demolished the Al-Shayah Mosque in Jabal al-Mukabber, which has been standing for 20 years. Its area is 50 square meters, and hundreds of people flock to it daily to pray and learn the Quran.
Arrests
Arrests continued in the city of Jerusalem during the month of November, and the Wadi Hilweh Information Center monitored more than 540 arrests from the city of Jerusalem, including 3 children under the age of responsibility/under 12 years old, 24 boys under 18 years old, and more than 395 young men holding a “West Bank ID” on the pretext of entering Jerusalem illegally.
During November, the police arrested two guards of the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, at the Church of the “"Eliona Church" on the Mount of Olives for refusing to allow armed Israeli police officers to enter the church without permission, while the French Foreign Minister was preparing to visit it.
Deportations
Deportation decisions continued, as the Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem, monitored 13 deportation decisions "from the city of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Old City of Jerusalem, and from streets and neighborhoods in Jerusalem."
Settlers’ attacks
Settlers seized the property of the "Al-Musrara Café" in the Al-Musrara area opposite Damascus Gate in the city of Jerusalem, on the pretext that it was "owned by the Custodian of Absentee Property."
The occupation forces, accompanied by settlers, stormed the "Al-Musrara Café”, owned by the Castero family, and forced its owner out of it. Then, they seized the café, which the family has been in since 1954.
A settler stormed the Hamza Mosque in the center of the village of Beit Safafa to pray in it. The worshipers who were in the mosque to perform the noon prayer confronted the settler and forced him out of it.
Laws against Palestinians come into effect
Last November, the Knesset committee approved a bill that stipulates “the expulsion of family members of those who carry out armed operations against Israeli targets,” if they had prior knowledge of the operation or glorified and supported the operation after it was carried out. According to the law, the expulsion order for “an Israeli citizen” is no less than 7 years and no more than 15 years, and in the case of “a permanent or temporary resident” - no less than 10 years and no more than 20 years.
The Knesset approved a law that allows the imposition of a prison sentence on Palestinian children under the age of 14. According to the law, the court will be able to detain the minor in a prison instead of a “hostel/internal residence” for a period not exceeding 10 days, if it is convinced that he poses a danger or that his actions could harm others. If such circumstances are repeated, the court will be able to keep the minor in prison for a period of time that it determines.
