OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Jerusalem Governorate documented a continued escalation in Israeli violations during August 2026, including the killing of two Palestinians by Israeli forces, the storming of Aqsa Mosque by 5,209 Jewish settlers, 83 injuries, 114 arrests, and 40 demolition and land-clearing operations, in addition to dozens of demolition, eviction, and property confiscation notices and orders.
Data from the governorate showed continued Israeli targeting of Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem, their holy sites, institutions, and land, alongside an expansion of settlement projects and measures aimed at altering the city’s demographic, geographic, and legal reality.
Two Palestinians killed, 83 injured in Israeli attacks
The Jerusalem Governorate documented the killing of Khalil Abbas Khalil al-Awar and Ahmad Khalil Abbas al-Awar, who succumbed to wounds sustained after being shot by Israeli occupation forces during a raid on the town of Silwan, south of Aqsa Mosque, on August 23.
The governorate said Israeli forces used excessive force, stun grenades, tear gas, and live ammunition during the incident and prevented local families and community mediators from intervening to contain the dispute, further complicating the situation. More than five Palestinians were injured.
The governorate documented 83 injuries during the month caused by live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, beatings, vehicle-ramming incidents, burns, and tear gas inhalation, as well as Jewish settler attacks. The injured included six Palestinian workers who were attempting to enter Jerusalem.
5,209 Israeli settlers storm Aqsa Mosque
Aqsa Mosque saw an escalation in Jewish settler incursions and Jewish rituals in its courtyards and around its gates during August, under the direct protection of Israeli police.
The governorate recorded 5,209 settlers storming Aqsa Mosque, in addition to 3,117 people who entered under the category of tourism. August 13 saw one of the highest numbers of incursions, with 751 settlers entering the mosque compound in a single day.
Throughout the month, so-called Temple groups, rabbis, and Israeli political figures continued calling for intensified incursions and an expansion of Jewish rituals inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and around its compound.
114 arrests and banishment orders
The Jerusalem Governorate documented 114 arrests during August, including five children and one woman, across several areas of the governorate. Those detained included children, former prisoners, students, academics, prominent Jerusalem figures, activists, and residents of Bedouin communities.
The governorate also documented 27 prison sentences, including 24 administrative detention orders, in addition to two house arrest orders and six banishment orders, five of which barred Palestinians from Al-Aqsa Mosque.
40 demolition and land-clearing operations, 86 notices and orders
Israeli occupation authorities carried out 40 demolition and land-clearing operations during the month. These included 14 self-demolitions in which Palestinians were forced to demolish their own homes and structures, 23 demolitions carried out by Israeli machinery, and three land-clearing operations.
The governorate also documented 86 notices and orders, including 78 related to demolition, stop-work, and construction orders, three eviction orders, and five property confiscation orders.
Holy sites, schools, and institutions targeted
Occupied Jerusalem witnessed attacks during August targeting Islamic and Christian holy sites, educational, national, and international institutions, as well as freedom of worship and journalistic work.
The governorate documented an attack on the Armenian Church in the Old City, while Israeli authorities allowed Jewish prayer books to be brought into Al-Aqsa Mosque and organized Jewish prayers to be performed inside the compound.
Israeli Knesset member Zvi Sukkot also stormed Nour al-Huda School in Ras Shehadeh and placed signs calling for its closure.
Israeli occupation authorities converted an UNRWA school building in the Shuafat refugee camp into a school affiliated with the Israeli Education Ministry and the Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality.
Israeli forces also raided UNRWA’s Qalandia Vocational Training Center in Kafr Aqab, evacuated agency employees, detained those present, and raised the Israeli flag at the facility.
Qalandia refugee camp and the town of Kafr Aqab were subjected to an Israeli military assault between August 4 and 7, during which civilian and national institutions were targeted and buildings were seized and converted into military positions and detention and interrogation centers.
13 settlement plans and projects
The Jerusalem Governorate documented 13 settlement plans, projects, and activities during August, including zoning plans, settlement projects, the establishment of outposts, road construction, and land-related measures.
The governorate said four plans were deposited for the construction of 1,240 settlement housing units across 78.721 dunums, while two settlement plans covering 108.402 dunams were approved without the construction of new settlement housing units.
Israeli occupation authorities also issued two tenders for the construction of 1,861 settlement units, in addition to a tender for infrastructure work on the so-called Fabric of Life Road.
According to the report, the figures reflect the expanding scope of Israeli measures targeting Palestinians in Occupied Jerusalem, their holy sites, institutions, and land, alongside an escalation in incursions, demolitions, arrests, and settlement projects across the city.
