The Jerusalem Governorate documented the systematic crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in the governorate during May 2026. The occupation continued its measures aimed at imposing further restrictions on the city and its people. These crimes were spearheaded by continuous assaults on the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, accompanied by extensive incursions by settlers under the protection of occupation forces, in attempts to establish a new reality that undermines the existing historical and legal status quo.
اضافة اعلان
This was followed by ongoing demolition and bulldozing operations in multiple neighborhoods across the city, the notification of dozens of facilities, and the martyrdom of 3 individuals, alongside recorded injuries among Palestinians due to direct assaults or field suppression.
Furthermore, arbitrary arrest campaigns persisted, and rulings of actual imprisonment and house arrest were issued against Jerusalemites. This was in addition to dozens of forced deportation orders from the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem, alongside advancing the deposit and ratification of new settlement plans aimed at Judaizing the city and altering its demographic and geographic character.
Martyrs (Casualties)
The Jerusalem Governorate monitored the Israeli occupation forces' continued pursuit of a policy of field execution against Palestinians in the Jerusalem Governorate during May 2026. Its assaults and firing of live ammunition in areas north of occupied Jerusalem resulted in the martyrdom of three Palestinians.
On May 11, 2026: The youth Ayman Rafiq Muhammad Al-Hashlamoun (30 years old) was martyred opposite the Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, succumbing to injuries sustained from occupation gunfire during a raid on the camp. Forces opened fire on him before later announcing his death, and they continue to withhold his body.
On May 12, 2026: The laborer Zakaria Ali Muhammad Qadees (44 years old) was martyred by Israeli occupation forces' gunfire in the town of Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem, after being hit by live ammunition near the Apartheid Wall, under the pretext of attempting to cross the wall to reach his workplace.
On May 31, 2026: The youth Imad Haroun Shtayyeh (26 years old) from the village of Salem, east of Nablus, martyred after being hit by live ammunition in the thigh. Israeli occupation forces opened fire on him near the Apartheid Wall in the town of Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem.
Crimes and Violations in the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque
May 2026 witnessed a qualitative and systematic escalation in Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque. The governorate recorded the incursion of (7,244) settlers into the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to the entry of (2,690) others under the guise of "tourism"—marking a noticeable increase in the number of intruders compared to previous months, all under the strict protection provided by Israeli occupation forces.
Among the most prominent violations during May were repeated settler incursions, the public performance of Talmudic rituals within its courtyards, attempts to introduce sacrificial offerings, and the hoisting of the occupation's flags inside the compound. This was in addition to assaulting the mosque's guards, storming it on Friday on the occasion of the biblical Shavuot holiday (a precedent not seen since 1967), and organizing provocative marches in the vicinity of the Old City.
This escalation coincided with so-called Jewish holidays and occasions, particularly "Jerusalem Unification Day," during which temple groups and occupation authorities sought to impose new realities inside Al-Aqsa and its surroundings by intensifying incursions, expanding the scope of Jewish rituals, and tightening restrictions on Palestinian worshippers, as part of continuous attempts to entrench a Judaization reality in Al-Aqsa Mosque and occupied Jerusalem.
Injuries
During May 2026, the Jerusalem Governorate recorded a total of (17) injuries, distributed between live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, severe physical beatings, tear gas inhalation, and injuries resulting from pepper spray attacks by settlers.
The injuries during the aforementioned period were concentrated in the areas of Al-Ram, Qalandia camp, and Hizma, resulting from repeated gunfire by occupation forces during military raids and near the Separation Wall, as well as the targeting of laborers while attempting to reach their workplaces inside the 1948 territories.
Assaults carried out by settlers against Palestinians were also recorded in Silwan and Beit Iksa, including a dangerous racist assault that left a Jerusalemite driver severely injured, reflecting the continued use of excessive force and the escalation of settler attacks against Palestinians in the total absence of accountability.
Settler Attacks
During May 2026, the Jerusalem Governorate documented 45 attacks carried out by settlers, including 9 assaults causing physical harm, within the context of a continuous, organized, and multi-level escalation targeting the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, Bedouin communities, private property, and Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Settler attacks during May 2026 included assaults on Palestinians and shepherds, attempts to steal livestock, preventing farmers from accessing or plowing their lands, firing live ammunition, and attacking homes and commercial shops, in addition to targeting Islamic and Christian religious sites with repeated acts of desecration and provocation.
Organized attacks also continued against Bedouin communities east of Jerusalem, particularly in the vicinity of Khan al-Ahmar, by storming residential communities, assaulting residents and shepherds, and imposing an atmosphere of continuous intimidation, alongside recording racist attacks targeting Jerusalemites and Christian sanctities in the city of Jerusalem.
Arrests
The Jerusalem Governorate recorded a remarkable escalation in the policies of suppression and arrest pursued by the Israeli occupation authorities against Jerusalemites during May 2026, documenting the arrest of 101 Palestinians, including 3 women and 9 children, as part of a systematic campaign targeting various areas of the occupied city of Jerusalem.
These arrests were accompanied by extensive raids into homes and neighborhoods, field arrests at checkpoints and roads, alongside the use of excessive force, beatings, intimidation, and humiliation.
The arrests covered various areas of Jerusalem, particularly Issawiya, Hizma, Qalandia and Shuafat camps, Silwan, the Old City, and the vicinity of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinians were taken from their homes, workplaces, streets, and military checkpoints as part of an ongoing policy of tightening restrictions and security escalation. The month also witnessed massive arrest campaigns, most notably in the town of Hizma on May 20, where 27 citizens were arrested in the largest single arrest campaign recorded during the month.
Occupation Court Rulings Against Detainees
Israeli occupation courts continued to issue arbitrary rulings against Jerusalemites, including the imposition of strict movement restrictions, exorbitant financial fines that burden families, forced house arrests, deportation orders, and travel bans. The occupation courts also continued to extend arbitrary administrative detention without filing specific charges, in some cases for long terms, representing a flagrant violation of human rights and the basic principles of legal justice.
Actual Imprisonment
During May 2026, the Jerusalem Governorate monitored the continuation of the Israeli occupation's repressive policy against Jerusalemite prisoners, documenting the issuance of (15) sentences and decisions, including (10) administrative detention orders. This comes within the framework of escalating the use of this arbitrary measure against Mourabitoun (garrisoners), civil employees, minors, and journalists, through repeated renewals and transfers to actual prison without clear charges. Sentences of actual imprisonment and financial fines were also issued, in a clear continuation of the policy of suppression and legal terrorism directed against Jerusalemites.
House Arrest
During May 2026, the Israeli occupation authorities continued to use the policy of house arrest as a tool of punishment and restriction against Jerusalemites, particularly youth, children, and activists, within a system of measures aimed at imposing restrictions on movement and daily life even after the release of detainees. The Jerusalem Governorate recorded (8) house arrest decisions during the month, with durations ranging between four and ten days, paired in some cases with deportation orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque or the imposition of financial bails.
Deportation Orders
The Israeli occupation authorities continued their policy of forced and arbitrary deportation against Jerusalemites during May 2026, using this measure as a punitive tool targeting those stationed in Al-Aqsa Mosque, journalists, activists, released prisoners, and students, amidst systematic efforts to empty the city of its religious and national symbols.
The Jerusalem Governorate recorded a total of (67) deportation orders from the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City, noting that the actual number may be higher given the tight restrictions and threats to renew orders if deportees make any media statements, in addition to informing some of them via text messages on the "WhatsApp" application.
Demolitions, Bulldozing, and Property Confiscation
During May 2026, the Jerusalem Governorate documented (84) demolition and bulldozing operations, distributed as follows: (21) forced self-demolition operations in which Palestinian Jerusalemites were forced to demolish their homes with their own hands, and (56) demolition operations carried out by the occupation's machinery and municipalities, in addition to (7) bulldozing operations targeting Palestinian lands and properties. Data indicates that the demolition and bulldozing operations were distributed across several Jerusalemite towns and neighborhoods.
The most prominent demolition and bulldozing operations during May 2026 manifested in the execution of extensive demolition campaigns that targeted residential, commercial, and industrial homes and structures in Al-Ram, Eizariya, Silwan, Sawahra, Sur Baher, Jabel Mukaber, and Qalandia, alongside bulldozing roads, lands, and infrastructure. Several Jerusalemite families were forced to self-demolish their homes, while the Al-Mashtal area in Eizariya witnessed one of the largest collective demolition operations in recent years, demolishing around 40 industrial and commercial structures. These violations confirm the escalation of the demolition and bulldozing policy as a tool targeting the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and reshaping its architectural and demographic reality.
Demolition, Forced Eviction, and Land Confiscation Orders
During May 2026, the Israeli occupation authorities continued the policy of notices, demolition, eviction, and construction halts against Palestinians in the Jerusalem Governorate, within an ongoing escalation targeting the Palestinian presence in the city and threatening residents, their sanctities, and their livelihoods. The Jerusalem Governorate documented during this month the issuance of (20) notices and decisions, distributed between (17) demolition notices, two eviction orders, and one construction halt notice, in addition to a decision to confiscate and seize lands, reflecting the occupation's continued use of legal and administrative tools as a means to impose facts on the ground and push Jerusalemites toward forced displacement.
Crimes and Violations Against Jerusalemite Institutions and Landmarks
During May 2026, the Jerusalem Governorate recorded a broad Israeli escalation targeting religious, educational, cultural, and media institutions, alongside journalistic and diplomatic teams and public facilities, as part of a policy aimed at imposing control and undermining the Palestinian presence. The violations were characterized by the integrated roles of the occupation forces, its municipality, and settlement associations, by restricting the freedom of worship, movement, and journalistic work, and disrupting educational and religious life.
May witnessed a series of violations targeting media and medical teams and public facilities, including opening fire on journalists during the incursion into the vicinity of the Qalandia camp, searching ambulances, and confiscating equipment belonging to the Joint Services Council northwest of Jerusalem. Official Israeli incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings also continued, and events and manifestations of a military and Judaizing nature were organized in the Buraq Wall (Western Wall) area and occupied Jerusalem, alongside assaulting the mosque of the Nabi Samwil village and attempting to smash its door.
The occupation authorities also escalated their settlement and Judaization projects by allocating the former headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Sheikh Jarrah for Israeli military and security facilities, and approving plans to expand Judaization projects in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Buraq Wall, and seizing lands in Nabi Samwil and Beit Iksa.
Israeli measures also targeted journalists and media workers through arrests and deportation orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque, alongside prosecuting Jerusalemite journalist Bayan Al-Juba and seeking a sentence to imprison her for a period of 24 months.
Settlement Projects
The Jerusalem Governorate recorded during May 2026 a continuation of Israeli settlement policies aimed at strengthening control over the Jerusalem Governorate through extensive settlement plans that included building, land seizure, and settlement expansion.
Based on the daily monitoring of official announcements issued by the so-called "Civil Administration" and the occupation municipality in Jerusalem, in addition to what was documented by the Orient House Center, the governorate documented a total of (15) settlement plans during the month.
The data showed that among these plans, three plans were deposited, which include building (4) settlement units and service centers for the occupation, over a total area of (342.688) dunams. Meanwhile, (4) settlement plans were approved, including the construction of (547) settlement units on an area of (55.163) dunams, alongside putting forward a plan for a tender aiming to establish two settlement complexes in the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, within a continuous expansionist path that entrenches settlement facts on the ground.
