The Jerusalem Governorate monitored Israeli occupation violations in the governorate during April. These violations focused on arrests, detainee orders, demolitions, eviction orders, deportation orders, and house arrests, in addition to daily raids on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Martyrs:

In April 2025, the Jerusalem Governorate witnessed the continuation of the occupation's crimes against the Palestinian people. Citizen Arafat Qadous, from the village of Iraq Burin in the Nablus Governorate, was martyred after being chased by occupation forces near the racist separation and expansion wall in the town of Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem, while trying to reach his workplace within the 1948 territories.

Colonists' attacks:

During April, the governorate monitored (31) attacks by settlers, including two attacks involving physical harm, which reflects a dangerous escalation in settler attacks against Palestinian citizens, their property and their holy sites, as they all took place under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.

Injuries:

About (45) injuries were recorded as a result of live and rubber-coated metal bullets and severe beatings, in addition to cases of suffocation from gas, including two injuries as a result of the settlers’ attacks.

Crimes and violations in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque:

The blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed an unprecedented Israeli escalation in flagrant violation of the historical and legal status quo, and a blatant violation of international law and UNESCO resolutions affirming that Al-Aqsa Mosque is a purely Islamic place of worship.

During April, (10,111) settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the occupation forces, in addition to (6,139) others under the cover of “tourism”. The settlers carried out provocative tours and performed Talmudic rituals in various areas of Al-Aqsa Mosque, in a direct violation of the sanctity of the holy place.

During the Jewish Passover holiday of 2025, which extended from April 13 to 19, the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque witnessed a dangerous escalation in the pace of violations and incursions, as 6,865 settlers stormed the mosque, a significant increase over previous years.

Targeting national figures in Jerusalem:

Jerusalem has also witnessed a continuation of the occupation's systematic policy of targeting Palestinian political and religious figures, in an attempt to undermine the Palestinian national presence in the city and disrupt the role of these figures in defending Jerusalem and its residents.

On April 21, Israeli intelligence summoned Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ashraf al-Awar for investigation and served him with a notice ordering his deportation from the West Bank for six months, on the grounds of engaging in "activities on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority."

On the same day, Israeli occupation forces raided the home of the Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, in the al-Sal'a neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukaber, in a clear message of continued targeting of the city's top religious leadership.

On April 27, an Israeli court held a trial session for Jerusalem Governor Adnan Ghaith, before deciding to postpone the hearing until September. This comes as part of a series of ongoing legal proceedings against the governor, which aim to combat symbols of Palestinian sovereignty in the occupied capital.

Arrest cases:

During April, the Jerusalem Governorate recorded the arrest of (58) Jerusalemites, including (3) women and (5) children.

Occupation court decisions against detainees:

The occupation courts have imposed unfair decisions on detainees, ranging from actual prison sentences to house arrest, deportation orders, and hefty fines. Some detainees have also been subjected to travel bans, and the detention of a large number of detainees has been extended for months, and even years, without clear charges being brought against them.

Actual imprisonment:

The Jerusalem Governorate monitored the issuance of (27) actual prison sentences by the occupation courts against Jerusalemite prisoners during April, including (11) administrative detention sentences, i.e. without specifying a charge against the detainees. These sentences reflect the occupation’s escalating policy of targeting detainees, which contributes to the exacerbation of their suffering.

House arrest:

In April 2025, the Jerusalem Governorate monitored the issuance of (4) house arrest decisions by the occupation authorities.

Deportation decisions:

The occupation authorities issued (13) deportation decisions against Palestinians, including (6) decisions to deport them from the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Travel ban decisions:

The occupation authorities cite security reasons to prevent Palestinians from traveling, particularly in occupied Jerusalem. In April, the occupation authorities issued a travel ban.

Demolitions, bulldozing and property seizures:

The occupation authorities carried out (34) demolition and bulldozing operations, including (5) forced self-demolition operations during which Jerusalemites were forced to demolish their homes to avoid fines, and (25) demolition operations carried out by force by occupation machinery, in addition to (4) bulldozing operations, targeting Palestinian lands and streets, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, at a time when strict restrictions are imposed on obtaining building permits, making it almost impossible for Jerusalemites.

Demolition, forced eviction and land seizure decisions:

Demolition orders are part of the Israeli occupation's policy of displacing Palestinians from their lands in occupied Jerusalem. The occupation authorities issue these orders under the pretext of unlicensed construction or building violations, even though Palestinians are often denied building permits due to the restrictions imposed on them.

These decisions include notices demanding that residents demolish their homes within a short period of time, or else the occupation bulldozers will carry out the demolition and impose heavy fines.

The largest number of these notices was in the town of Anata, where the occupation issued 35 of the 47 notices recorded in the Jerusalem Governorate.

Crimes and violations against Jerusalem's institutions and landmarks

During April, occupied Jerusalem witnessed a continuation of widespread Israeli violations targeting religious, national, and educational institutions, alongside an escalating assault on media freedoms and trade union activity. This reflects a systematic policy to obliterate Palestinian national identity and undermine the Palestinian presence in the city.

One of the most prominent features of this approach has been the targeting of educational institutions. The so-called Arab Education Department of the Israeli municipality announced the closure of Al-Furqan School in Shuafat, which serves approximately 1,200 students, on the grounds that it was operating without a license, despite the school having been in operation for thirty years.

In a related development, Israeli occupation forces stormed Al-Quds University in Abu Dis and fired tear gas canisters onto the campus, a blatant violation of the sanctity of academic institutions and the right to education.

The assault on national institutions continued, as occupation forces closed the headquarters of the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions on Salah al-Din Street and arrested its secretary, Fawzi Shaaban, for his union work. They also raided a printing press belonging to the family of released prisoner Ahmed Obeid in Issawiya. These attacks extended to include international institutions, as they stormed a UNRWA school in Shuafat camp and handed its administration a military order ordering its closure on May 8. This same order also occurred with five other UNRWA schools in the city.

Media freedoms were not spared from these practices. Israeli occupation forces arrested journalist Nadine Jaafar at Bab al-Ghawanmeh and released her on condition that she be kept away from Al-Aqsa Mosque. They also shot journalist Mohammed Samreen while covering the demolition operations in Anata, damaging his vehicle. This is a dangerous escalation targeting journalistic work and the truth.

In the religious sphere, the occupation authorities escalated their violations against holy sites, assaulting Christians during Holy Saturday celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, preventing a number of them from entering. They also raided the home of the Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, in a move that reflects the continued targeting of religious symbols in the city.

Arbitrary measures against Palestinian officials continued, with Israeli intelligence summoning Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ashraf al-Awar and handing him a six-month ban from the West Bank, on the grounds that he was carrying out activities on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority.

This escalation culminated in a decision by the extremist minister in the Israeli occupation government, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to close the offices of the Jerusalem Fund and Endowment in Jerusalem, in flagrant violation of all international norms and laws. This decision comes as part of a systematic campaign led by the occupation government to dry up the sources of Palestinian civil society work and confiscate everything that supports Jerusalemites and contributes to their economic and social empowerment.

Together, these attacks highlight the magnitude of the challenges facing Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem and reveal an ongoing Israeli strategy aimed at emptying the city of its national and religious significance and undermining all aspects of Palestinian sovereignty there.

Colonial projects:

During April, the Jerusalem Governorate observed continued intensive settlement activity in Jerusalem. Seven new settlement plans were tracked through official announcements issued by the Jerusalem Municipality. These plans are divided into various stages, including deposit, approval, and tenders. On April 17, settlers opened a Jewish religious school near the Western Wall.

In April, three plans were approved in Jerusalem, and a tender was issued for the development of public spaces, a park, and swimming pools in the Gilo settlement.

On April 8, a number of Israeli ministers and rabbis inaugurated a new settlement project aimed at demolishing 95 homes in occupied Jerusalem, in preparation for the construction of 392 new settlement units in the same area.

On April 16, Israeli bulldozers from the Boaz settlement outpost began paving new settlement roads within the dangerous E1 settlement plan, in the lands of the town of Issawiya, specifically in the Abu George Triangle area, the Bir al-Maskub settlement complex, and Wadi Sneisel.

These roads extended towards the Shai police station, affiliated with the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, in an attempt to connect the settlements to each other and achieve geographical settlement contiguity at the expense of Palestinian lands.

On April 22, the occupation authorities discussed a new settlement plan to expand the Gilo settlement southeastward, as part of a project known as "Southeast Gilo," which aims to seize 176 dunams of Palestinian land in Beit Jala for the construction of 1,900 settlement units. According to available data, 29% of this land is privately owned by Palestinians, while 15% is managed by the so-called "Custodian of Absentee Property," and 44% of the land is not officially registered.

In this project, the occupation authorities rely on the "Absentee Property Law," which is used as a tool to seize Palestinian lands belonging to owners who were forcibly displaced.