March 2026 in the city of Jerusalem
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Jerusalem published its monthly report for March 2026, highlighting key events and Israeli violations in Jerusalem.
In March, the Israeli-American conflict with Iran persisted, amid a continued state of emergency in the country. This involved closing Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher completely, along with sirens and explosions echoing through Jerusalem.
Despite the state of emergency, shootings, demolitions, forced displacement, deportation orders, and arrests continued unabated. Worshipers faced suppression and were often prevented from performing their prayers, particularly during Ramadan, when they were compelled to pray in the streets.
Report details:
Four martyrs from Jerusalem and its suburbs
In March, four Palestinian martyrs from Jerusalem and nearby areas were killed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers, specifically in Jabal al-Mukabber, in Bethlehem Governorate and in the Qalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem.
• On March 25, 2026, 21-year-old Qasem Amjad Abu Al-Amal Shqeirat was killed after being shot inside his home. He was detained in the kitchen during a raid by Israeli occupation forces attempting to arrest him.
• On March 26, 2026, Muhammad Faraj Al-Malhi, a 37-year-old from Sharafat village, was killed by a settler during an attack on his family's land in the Al-Harmala area of Khallat Al-Luz, near Bethlehem.
• On March 27, 2026, Mustafa Hamad, 22 years old, was killed in an Israeli occupation forces raid on Qalandia refugee camp.
• On March 27, 2026, Sufian Ahmad Saleh Abu Leil, 46 years old, was killed during an Israeli occupation forces raid on Qalandia refugee camp.
Al-Aqsa Mosque closed… Ramadan and Eid without worshippers
From the outset of the war, Al-Aqsa Mosque was entirely closed, with all worshippers and staff evacuated. Only a small number of guards remained. Throughout March, which coincided with Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the closure persisted, and only a few employees from the Islamic Endowment Department were permitted entry.
Al-Aqsa Mosque was devoid of worshippers, lacking the typical scenes of i'tikaf (seclusion for worship), the third and fourth Friday prayers, Laylat al-Qadr, and Eid prayers—all of which were seen as an unprecedented sight at the holy site.
On the third and fourth Friday prayers, during Laylat al-Qadr and Eid, Jerusalem seemed as if it had become a military barracks. Iron barriers blocked the gates of the Old City, the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque were entirely shut, and the Old City was under siege, with no worshippers in sight.
Faced with these restrictions, worshippers had to pray in the streets of Jerusalem or at the closest accessible locations. This assembly was met with repression, with occupation forces firing stun grenades and using batons, especially during Eid prayers in Herods Gate area and Taraweeh prayers at the Old City entrances.
During the last ten days of Ramadan, there was a near-daily campaign of arrests targeting young men from Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories within Israel.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem reported that Al-Aqsa Mosque has been entirely closed multiple times since Jerusalem's occupation in 1967. According to experts and the center's own documentation, Friday prayers were forbidden there on eight different occasions.
The closures include:
▪︎ First closure: Friday, June 9, 1967, two days after the occupation of Jerusalem.
▪︎ Second closure: Friday, July 14, 2017, following a shooting inside Al-Aqsa and an attempt to impose electronic gates.
▪︎ Third and fourth closures: during June 2015, coinciding with the Israeli war on Iran.
▪︎ Closures from the fifth to the eighth: During March 2026 and the first Friday of April, amidst the US-Israeli war on Iran. These closures included five consecutive Fridays, among them the third and fourth Fridays of Ramadan, in addition to the Friday that coincided with the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
In 2020, due to the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, the four Friday prayers during Ramadan were not conducted inside Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Islamic Endowment Council in Jerusalem made this decision to suspend prayers in the mosque to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher remains closed… Palm Sunday without services
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has been closed throughout March since the start of the war. In a concerning precedent, services were barred from being held there on Palm Sunday, one of the most sacred days in the Christian calendar, for the first time in centuries.
On March 29, 2026, Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pier Battista Pizzaballa, along with the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ilbo, from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as they headed to celebrate Mass. Even though they traveled alone and without any ceremonial displays, they had to turn back without completing the service.
This year, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem canceled the annual Palm Sunday procession, which normally starts at the Church of Bethpage on the Mount of Olives and ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City. The decision led to widespread criticism, with many issuing statements of protest, condemning the move, and calling for an apology. Many viewed the cancellation as a breach of religious freedom and an insult to Jerusalem's religious significance.
Deportations... Amid war and emergency
Despite the ongoing state of emergency caused by the war, the occupation authorities kept issuing deportation orders. These were delivered either via summonses for "hearings"—serving as a prelude to deportations lasting from one week to several months—or through direct deportation orders issued by the Jerusalem police chief.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center recorded about 60 deportation orders issued throughout the month. These orders varied in length from one week to six months and included bans from Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Old City, Jerusalem, and nearby areas.
Among those deported was Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque and head of the Supreme Islamic Council. He was summoned for interrogation at the "Rooms 4" police station in Jerusalem on charges of "disturbing public order' because of his calls for reopening Al-Aqsa Mosque and resuming prayers there.
The occupation authorities also deported Sheikh Raed Salah, a Palestinian from within Israel, from Jerusalem after arresting him at the end of Ramadan. He was in the city during a visit that involved meeting Sheikh Ekrima Sabri and attending an Iftar meal with a Jerusalemite family.
Evictions and displacement... Amid war and emergency
Despite the ongoing state of emergency caused by the war, the paralysis in Jerusalem, and the repeated attacks with rockets and shrapnel on the city, Palestinians in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan are still being displaced as settlers take over their homes.
In March, the occupation authorities evicted residents from 15 apartments in Batn al-Hawa, including two on Eid al-Fitr's third day. These apartments were owned by the families of Basbous and Rajabi, leaving around 90 people homeless and vulnerable.
Settler organizations assert ownership of the land, which has been claimed by Jewish groups of Yemeni origin since 1881. Despite Palestinian residents presenting official documents demonstrating their ownership since the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, court rulings have consistently favored the organizations, resulting in the eviction of Palestinian inhabitants.
Demolition and displacement... Amid war and emergency
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Jerusalem, as families were displaced to accommodate settlers, occupation authorities also demolished the homes of other families, leaving them homeless amid the ongoing war and emergency.
In March, the center documented the demolition of 12 structures—homes, walls, and rooms—in the towns of Silwan, Sur Baher, and Umm Tuba. These demolitions involved both official actions and self-demolitions by homeowners, who did so to avoid fines, demolition costs, or to comply with orders from the occupation municipality.
These demolitions led to the displacement of about 40 Palestinians from Jerusalem, who are now experiencing very challenging living and security conditions.
In March, Israeli forces demolished a memorial to martyrs in the Shu’fat refugee camp.
The Israeli forces also raided UNRWA schools in the Shu’fat refugee camp, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, and took measurements of the buildings.
Arrests amid war and state of emergency
In March 2026, Israeli occupation forces carried out daily arrest campaigns in Jerusalem, targeting children, teenagers, women, and the elderly, as well as dozens of West Bank ID holders, under the claim of "illegal residency."
That month, over 330 detainees from Jerusalem were held, including women, teenagers, the elderly, and hundreds of West Bank ID holders.
The Information Center stated that during the final days of Ramadan, security forces made daily arrests, focusing on young men and boys from Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories within Israel. These arrests occurred while individuals were performing prayers near Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was closed at the time.
Four young residents of Jerusalem were also taken into detention, including one who works for the Islamic Endowment Department.
Attempts to offer sacrifices near Al-Aqsa Mosque
Settlers make annual efforts, especially around Passover, to offer sacrifices near or inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In late March, approximately 10 settlers tried to present two goats as sacrifices near Al-Aqsa Mosque. Police intervened, seizing the goats while the group was in the Jaffa Gate area.
On March 19, 2026, a similar incident occurred when a settler arrived with a goat at the Cotton Merchants' Market area, which directly leads to the Cotton Merchants' Gate, one of the entrances to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The month also saw an increase in incitement rhetoric from extremist Temple Mount groups. These groups released advertisements and AI-generated videos that depicted scenes of a sacrificial feast following a slaughter, along with images claiming the 'Temple' is being constructed on the ruins of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In the same context, activists from extremist Temple groups released a video showing a rocket fragment landing in the Old City, with a comment that indirectly encourages targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This highlights a dangerous increase in incitement rhetoric surrounding the site.
Arming the settlers
In March, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that the policy of arming Israelis will be expanded to cover residents of all “Jewish neighborhoods” in Jerusalem. This change will allow approximately 300,000 Israelis in 41 neighborhoods to qualify for gun licenses, marking an escalation in the civilian arming approach within the city.
