Israeli occupation authorities issued nearly 400 expulsion orders targeting Palestinians in Jerusalem throughout 2024, according to data from the Wadi Hilweh Information Centre. The orders displaced individuals from key areas, including their homes, Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Old City, and various streets in Jerusalem. Some orders extended to barring entry into the West Bank or preventing foreign nationals from entering Palestinian territories altogether.

Among the recorded expulsions, 38 orders banned individuals from Jerusalem, 197 from Al-Aqsa Mosque, 87 from the Old City, and 10 barred access to the West Bank. These measures often lasted from a few days to several months and were frequently renewed, reflecting the systematic nature of the occupation’s punitive policies.

Palestinians affected by these orders include guards and staff at Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as those safeguarding the site against Israeli settler encroachment. Advocacy groups argue that such expulsions are aimed at undermining Palestinian efforts to protect one of their most sacred places and further facilitating settlement activities in and around the mosque.

The year 2024 also saw a sharp increase in other forms of repression against Palestinians in Jerusalem, including arrests and the imposition of heavy fines. These measures, viewed as part of a broader strategy to erode the Palestinian presence in the city, have been condemned by rights groups as collective punishment and violations of international law.

Critics warn that the ongoing expulsions and other coercive tactics represent a calculated attempt to shift the demographic and cultural balance of Jerusalem. Palestinian and international advocacy organisations have called for urgent action to confront the occupation’s policies and protect the rights of Jerusalem’s Palestinian population.