Eid al-Adha coincided this year with the Jewish holidays, which affected dramatically on the Palestinians all over the West Bank, and especially in the occupied eastern part of the city of Jerusalem. Where during the month of September 2015, the Israeli violations against Palestinians, their property and especially the Holy sites increased. The Israeli settlers escorted by the Israeli Occupation Army, on a daily base, stormed and toured in the courtyard of Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem city and tried to perform Talmudic rituals where the storming of Al-Aqsa mosque by Israeli settlers coincided with the impose of a strict blockade on the mosque, depriving hundreds of Palestinian worshipers from entering it.
As a result of the Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa mosque, clashes erupted between Palestinians and the Israeli Army in several areas in the West Bank, causing the injury of tens of Palestinians and the arrest of others. Moreover, the Israeli Army, and on a daily base, stormed and searched dozens of Palestinian houses. It’s worth to mention that the Israeli Authorities passed a harsh law making penalties for stone-throwing. The new law allowed for stone-throwers to receive a 20-year prison sentence where intent to harm could be proven, and 10 years where it could not.
In Gaza strip, the Israeli Occupation Authorities still breach the truce reached with the Palestinian Factions after the ending of the Israeli war against Gaza strip on the Summer of 2014. The Israeli Army, and on a daily base, attacked all the Palestinian areas along side of the border, where they opened fire at Palestinians, houses and land. Also, the Israeli Occupation Navy attacked Palestinian fishermen while they were sailing in Gaza sea .
Israel tightened its procedures in the old city of Jerusalem
The Palestinian Jerusalemites suffered from the control of the Israeli Occupation Authorities on them and the Israeli settlers attacks. For that, the occupied Jerusalem city and its Palestinian residents facing an Israeli restricted procedures, with the aim to alter the character and identity of the Holy City. Also, the Palestinian residents in Jerusalem city, facing an existential threat, which the colonial organizations with the help from the Israeli Authorities seeks to control over the Palestinian houses, to pass the houses for the Israeli settlers ownership in an illegal and corrupted manner, in an attempt to judaize the city and force the Palestinian to emigrate from the city.
From the beginning of September 2015, the Israeli Occupation Authorities impose a tight blockade in the holy city, where they closed all the gates of Al Aqsa mosque and prevented Palestinians from entering it, also they declared a “Black list”, which included names of Palestinian women, who forbidden from entering Al-Aqsa mosque. It’s worth pointed that when the Israeli Authorities prevented Palestinians from entering Al Aqsa mosque, they allowed the Israeli settlers to storm it and toured in its courtyard.
Furthermore, what is so-called the Israeli Nature Authority closed a 1 dunums of a public park in Silwan town in Jerusalem city under the claim that they found Talmudic monuments in the area.
On the other hand , the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem confiscated Palestinian land in Bab Ar-Rahma cemetery in Jerusalem, where they put a fence around 7,000 meters square of land.
Also, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved to change the name of 30 streets in east Jerusalem, where they will change the Arabic- Palestinian names of the streets to Hebrew names, which aims to change the character of the Palestinian city .
As for, the Israeli colonial organizations working in the holy city, has a role during the month of September 2015, where the Ateret Cohanim colonial organization occupied a Palestinian house in Battan Al Hawa neighborhood in Silwan town, where they claim that the targeted house is owned by the organization which in turn they pass it to the Israeli settlers.
Regarding the colonial construction in the occupied Jerusalem city, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved the construction of 153 housing units in the Israeli settlement of Ramot which located, northwest of the city.
In addition an Israeli construction company, announced the marketing of two colonial buildings in the Israeli settlement of Neve Ya’akov, north of Jerusalem city. These two buildings are within a project to construct four colonial buildings in the aforementioned settlement , each building consists of 9 floors. While another Israeli construction company get the permissions to construct three colonial buildings in the Israeli settlement of Har Homa, where each building will consist of 9 floors, where in total they will build 142 housing units. Furthermore, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem and Moreh company; an Israeli construction company, declared that the start to implement several colonial projects in the Israeli settlement of Har Homa, where the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem seeks to invest NIS 75 Million in these projects.
More than 60 attacks carried out by the Israeli settlers during the month of September
During the month of September 2015, the Israeli settlers living the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, carried out tens of attacks against the Palestinian residents, and their property and Holy sites. Where during September 2015, the Israeli settlers carried out about 62 attacks against Palestinians in several areas in the occupied West Bank, where most of these attacks carried out in Jerusalem Governorate, with about 24 attacks, and then in Nablus Governorate with 14 attacks and about 13 attacks in Hebron Governorate.
During the month of September 2015, Israeli attacks against the Palestinians became more aggressive and targeting attack the Palestinian children, which its documented in Hebron and Jerusalem Governorates, where a number of Palestinian children suffered from the Israeli settlers attacks. Also, the Israeli settlers started to use guns and automatic weapons during their attacks. In total, the settlers attacks against Palestinians during the month of September reach to 16 attacks. While the Israeli settlers attacks against the religious and Historic sites reach to 28 attacks, included 17 attacks against Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem city. And the Israeli settlers attacks against the Palestinian property about 11 attacks, these attacks including storming and occupying Palestinian houses, hurling stones at houses, open fir at vehicles.
Israeli orders to demolish 28 houses and structures
The Israeli Civil Administration issued tens of military orders that targeted in total 28 Palestinian houses and structures in several areas in the occupied West Bank, where the targeted houses and structures are located in the areas classified as “Area C” (according to Oslo Agreement ,1995) which it is under the fully control of the Israeli Occupation Authorities. The Israeli Authorities claimed that the targeted houses and structures are “illegal” or build without a permits issued from the Israeli Civil Administration.
These Israeli orders focused in Hebron Governorate, where the Israeli Occupation Authorities issued orders to demolish 17 houses and structures. It’s worth to mention that most of the Israeli demolition orders that issued in the month of September, targeted Masafer Yatta area; which included a number of areas and village surrounded by a number of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts. These areas are systematically targeted by the Israeli Occupation Authorities which is seeking to evacuate these areas from the Palestinians to use it for their colonial projects.
While in Bethlehem Governorate, the Israeli Occupation Authorities handed out military orders to demolish 9 Palestinian houses and structures. Most of these orders targeted houses and structures in Tuqu village, southeast of Bethlehem city.
Israeli military orders to evacuate Palestinian lands and to uproot 263 trees
The Israeli Occupation Authorities issued military orders to evacuate 26 dunums of Palestinian land in Qarawat Bani Hassan village in Salfit Governorate, in additional to the uprooting of 123 trees planted in the targeted land, where the Israeli Authorities claimed that the targeted land classified as “Nature Reserve”. Moreover, the Israeli Occupation Authorities issued a military order to uproot 140 trees from Palestinian land which is also located in Qarawat Bani Hassan village in Salfit Governorate, and again, the Israeli Authorities claimed that the targeted trees planted in land classified as “Nature Reserve”.
6 houses and 11 structures were demolished during the month of September 2015
During the month of September 2015, the Israeli Occupation bulldozers demolished 6 Palestinian houses in additional to 11 structures, while as usual the Israeli Occupation Authorities claimed that the targeted houses and structures are “illegal” or build without a permits issued from the Israeli Civil Administration, noted that the targeted houses and structures are located in the aresa classified as area “C” (according to Oslo Agreement ,1995) which it is under the fully control of the Israeli Occupation Authorities.
In Ramallah Governorate, the Israeli bulldozers demolished 4 houses and 3 structures. While in Jerusalem Governorate, the Israeli bulldozers demolish a house and 6 structures.
To conclude:
Israel did not leave any opportunity or occasion without attacking Palestinians, their property and their Holy places in any area in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza strip. Where the Israeli Right- wing Government did not pay attention to the international criticism against it.
While the European Parliament decided to label all the goods came from the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli government seeks to bring about 20,000 workers from China to work in the Israeli Settlements in the occupied West Bank. Also to strengthen the colonial present in the West Bank, the Israeli Government erases $76m as debts on the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and the occupied Golan Heights.
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
