All articles tagged with #jerusalem
Israeli police conducting a operation in Jerusalem's Silwan district uncovered a rock-cut burial cave dating to the Second Temple period, with the Israel Antiquities Authority inspecting the graves and securing the site as investigations into a deadly family feud continue.
In East Jerusalem’s Silwan, police conducting an operation tied to a violent family feud uncovered a rock-cut burial cave dating to the Second Temple period, along with other archaeological finds; authorities say the scene is secured for examination by the Israel Antiquities Authority.
A Jerusalem court acquitted a man linked to an attack on a nun and ordered him to undergo psychiatric treatment, signaling a verdict driven by mental health considerations rather than imprisonment.
Israel rejected a joint statement by 15 countries and the EU condemning its entry into a UNRWA training center in Kalandia and seizure of UN facilities in eastern Jerusalem, accusing UNRWA of ties to terrorism based on a USAID inspector general report; it says UNRWA had no property rights to the site and that the compound will be repurposed as a school and community center, while the Knesset advances legislation to end UNRWA operations in Israel.
A man who attacked a French nun in Jerusalem was acquitted on mental health grounds, drawing condemnation from the French Consulate and Israeli officials over concerns about religious coexistence and rising hostility toward Christianity in the city.
Israeli authorities, with the IDF, police and Jerusalem Municipality, began evacuating the UNRWA compound in Kafr Aqab, Jerusalem. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the move as enforcing sovereignty and removing an organization accused of terrorism and Hamas involvement. The operation follows legal steps against UNRWA and builds on prior actions at UNRWA sites and related security considerations in the city.
Experts say Hezbollah’s provocations have not derailed the Rome talks between Beirut and Jerusalem, which proceed under a US-brokered framework aimed at de-escalation and Israeli withdrawal; while diplomacy continues, analysts warn that progress hinges on Beirut demonstrating it can curb Hezbollah’s influence and on managing Lebanon’s internal dynamics amid ongoing violence and security concerns.
Six suspects—five minors and one adult—were arrested after allegedly spitting at and throwing rocks at the Armenian Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem's Old City; a bystander filmed the incident, and the Armenian Patriarchate filed a formal complaint. Three suspects were released under restrictive conditions (banned from the Old City for 15 days), while the other three were brought to the Magistrate Court as police sought a detention extension.
Eight Arab and Muslim-majority states condemned far-right and settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, saying the actions are unlawful, fuel hate, and jeopardize the two-state peace process; in a joint statement they urged Israel to lift access restrictions, protect holy sites, and urged the international community to uphold the status quo amid the incident during Tisha B’Av.
More than 2,300 Israeli settlers and far-right activists stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av, with police restricting Palestinian worshippers and allowing some Israelis to pray; authorities warned the number could rise to about 5,000, while Hamas and Jordan condemned the move as an escalation, sparking fears of further clashes.
A report charts a rising tide of anti-Christian hostility in Israel and the West Bank, including a daylight attack on a French nun in Jerusalem, widespread harassment by ultra-Orthodox and far-right groups, and growing emigration from Christian communities like Taybeh, as Vatican officials and American conservatives warn that the trend could erode Israel’s international support.
Tensions around the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount in Jerusalem are intensifying as a broad Temple Mount movement seeks to end Islamic governance and allow non-Muslim prayer, with support from some Israeli officials and evangelical Christians. The push challenges the long-standing status quo and risks provoking violence, echoing past crises such as the 2000 intifada; experts warn that changing the arrangement would be dangerous and that any shift would be met with Israeli security controls and Palestinian opposition, leaving the site as one of the region’s most volatile flashpoints.
Jerusalem's al‑Aqsa compound faces renewed strain as far‑right Israeli figures publicly pray and advocate greater Jewish access, challenging the long‑standing Status Quo that reserves the site for Muslim worship. While the government says there are no changes and non‑Muslims may visit, experts warn that altering governance or allowing broader Jewish prayer could provoke renewed violence, drawing international concern from Jordan, Gulf states, Egypt and others.
Somaliland has opened an embassy in Jerusalem, six months after Israel recognised it as independent, with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu during an official visit and Netanyahu praising a deep bond between the two sides. The move drew Somalia’s condemnation and criticism from other states that do not recognise Somaliland, but Israel calls it a strategic partnership with potential cooperation on resources; Somaliland has governed itself since 1991 but had not gained broad international recognition until now.
Archaeologists near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem uncovered a roughly 50-meter, multi-layer underground tunnel whose original purpose remains unclear. Initial water-system theories were rejected; the leading possibilities point to quarrying or an unfinished construction project. The tunnel is well-preserved but sections have collapsed, and dating evidence is lacking. The discovery is shaping plans to preserve the site within a future archaeological park as urban development proceeds nearby.