The Israeli occupation forces destroyed on March 12, 2018  the gravestones of the Jerusalemite Martyrs buried in Al-Mujahedeen Cemetery in Salah Al-Din Street in Jerusalem. Noteworthy, the bodies of the martyrs were held by Israel for long time before being delivered to their families as type of humiliation and punishment.

Reportedly, the tomb includes the bodies of the Martyrs: Mohammed Kaloti, Abdullah Abu Khroub, Thaer Abu Ghazaleh, Baha’ Alayan, Mohammed Abu Khalaf, Abdul Muhsen Hassouneh and Mohammed Nimer. It is noteworthy that the Israeli police conditioned the Martyrs’ families to bury them in the Al-Mujahedeen Cemetery.

Regarding the incident, Hosni Al-Kilani, official of the Al-Mujahedeen Cemetery, explained that the occupation forces destroyed the main door of the cemetery, and then a group stormed the cemetery with hand-demolition tools while another group was stationed at the door of the cemetery and in the surrounding areas.

Al-Kilani added that the forces destroyed the gravestone of Martyrs who were buried in the cemetery during the last two years, in addition to breaking the Koran verse and the words "tombs of Martyrs of the Jerusalem uprising".

Israeli parliament passed a law on Juy 17, 2018 allowing Israeli Police to hold the bodies of martyrs to please the families of abducted soliders in Gaza. Until now, Israeli Occupation Authorities still hold the bodies of 17 martyrs from Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Gaza, Jenin, Bethlehem and Nablus.

Photo 1: Al- Mujahedeen cemetery and the gravestones

Photo 2: the demolished gravestones

This case study is part of Kan'aan Project