DaysofPal- Amid rapid regional developments and growing international focus on broader crises, Israeli occupation aims at reshaping the demographic and legal landscape of Jerusalem, which is accelerating.
Between tightened security restrictions, settlement expansion, and the arming of settlers, Palestinian institutions describe a series of measures as part of a long-term strategy to consolidate exclusive Israeli control over the city, threatening its remaining religious and demographic diversity.
These developments are highlighted in a recent weekly report issued by the National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements, which documented escalating Israeli violations in Jerusalem and the West Bank between March 7 and 13, 2026, warning of their political and humanitarian consequences.
The report states that Israeli occupation continues to implement systematic and discriminatory policies aimed at altering the demographic and religious balance in East Jerusalem.
These measures include home demolitions, forced displacement, restrictions on Palestinian movement, and interference in freedom of worship.
In this context, the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been subject to strict measures, including its closure to Muslim worshippers for the third week of Ramadan.
According to the report, these actions are not solely tied to security considerations but are part of a broader effort to reinforce Israeli control over the city.
United Nations data cited in the report indicate a significant escalation in recent years: 144 Palestinians were killed in Jerusalem between 2021 and 2025, more than 11,555 were arbitrarily detained, and over 1,732 demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures were carried out.
Israeli measures extend beyond security and urban planning into the education sector. Conditions in East Jerusalem have deteriorated following legislation targeting the work of the UNRWA and its educational institutions.
The report describes these actions as a clear violation of international laws that guarantee legal protections for international organizations operating in occupied territories. Palestinians fear these policies could undermine the education system in the city and deprive thousands of students of their right to education.
At the same time, more than 7,000 Palestinians living in 33 Bedouin communities around Jerusalem face the threat of displacement due to repeated demolitions, land seizures, and restricted access to natural resources and livelihoods.
The report identifies Israeli property laws in Jerusalem as a key form of discrimination. Palestinians are prevented from reclaiming properties lost during the 1947–1949 war, while Jews are allowed to claim properties they say they lost during the same period.
Legal experts say these policies contradict international humanitarian law and human rights law, which prohibit the confiscation of private property and the forced displacement of protected populations in occupied territories.
One of the most significant developments highlighted is the policy of arming settlers led by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a key ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to statements shared by Ben-Gvir, residents of 41 additional Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem are now eligible to obtain personal firearm licenses, expanding access to weapons among Jewish residents in the city.
Israeli media reports suggest that this policy could make a majority of Jerusalem’s Jewish population, estimated at around 600,000 people, eligible for firearm permits.
The policy began in late 2023, and since then, more than 250,000 Israelis have reportedly been armed, with a particular focus on settlers in the West Bank and areas classified as security-sensitive.
The report warns that expanding the arming of settlers may lead to a dangerous escalation in attacks against Palestinians, especially amid rising settler violence since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
In the West Bank, recent months have seen a noticeable increase in settler attacks, often carried out under the protection of Israeli forces. Palestinian estimates suggest these attacks have risen by about 25% since the escalation of the regional war involving Iran.
At the same time, the displacement of Bedouin communities continues. Settlers have reportedly forced residents of several communities to dismantle their homes and leave under repeated attacks.
Among them is the Shakara Bedouin community near the village of Duma, south of Nablus, where around 70 residents were forced to leave after their homes and property were destroyed.
Concerns are also growing over the fate of 14 Bedouin communities in the “E1” area east of Jerusalem, where Israeli occupation plans a major settlement project linking the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem. Experts warn that the project could sever geographic continuity between the northern and southern West Bank.
Palestinian observers believe the acceleration of settlement activity is linked to the international community’s preoccupation with regional conflicts, creating a favorable environment for implementing long-prepared settlement plans.
The report concludes that this reality places Palestinian communities, especially Bedouin groups, before existential challenges related to their ability to remain on their land in the absence of effective international protection.
Despite limited resources, Palestinians continue to rely on the resilience of these communities, which in many cases have become the first line of defense against land confiscation and settlement expansion in an ongoing struggle over land and presence in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
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