Violation Report
(1967 – Present)
This documentation records a series of grave incidents targeting Palestinian Christians, their places of worship, and their fundamental rights to safety, movement, education, and religious practice.
2026
- Settlers Release Livestock onto Palestinian Agricultural Lands
Date: 4 June 2026
Location: Al-Khalaifa Area, east of Taybeh, Ramallah
Israeli settlers released camels and sheep onto privately owned Palestinian lands and among olive groves in the Al-Khalaifa area east of Taybeh. The incident constitutes an act of agricultural sabotage, threatening livelihoods, damaging cultivated land, and contributing to a climate of intimidation targeting the town’s Christian community.
- Military Incursion Near Christian and Archaeological Heritage Sites
Date: 3 June 2026
Location: Aboud, Ramallah
Israeli occupation bulldozers entered an area adjacent to Jabal Al-Qalai’a, the archaeological sites, church of Saint Barbara in the village of Aboud. The act raised serious concerns over the safety of significant archaeological, cultural, and Christian religious heritage sites.
- Attempt to Obstruct Catholic Marian Festival
Date: 29 May 2026
Location: Taybeh, Ramallah
The Israeli army attempted to prevent preparations for a Catholic Marian Festival marking the Marian Month in the Christian village of Taybeh, despite all required arrangements having been completed by the local authorities. The incident constituted interference with the peaceful exercise of religious observance and the organization of a longstanding Christian celebration.
- Demolition of Palestinian Home to Advance Settlement Projects
Date: 28 May 2026
Location: Al-Bustan Neighborhood, Silwan, Jerusalem
Bulldozers belonging to the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality, accompanied by Israeli police, demolished a Palestinian home in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan. The demolition forms part of an ongoing campaign that threatens the displacement of approximately 1,500 Palestinian residents to facilitate the construction of a settler tourist park.
- Violation of the Sanctity of the Armenian Monastery
Date: 21 May 2026
Location: Armenian Monastery, Jerusalem
An Israeli settler violated the sanctity of the Armenian Monastery in occupied Jerusalem
- Spitting Assault on the Shrine of the Virgin Mary
Date: 16 May 2026
Location: Jerusalem
Israeli settlers spat at the Shrine of the Virgin Mary in occupied Jerusalem, desecrating a revered Christian holy site and demonstrating continued acts of religiously motivated harassment against Christian sacred symbols.
- Settler Violence During “Jerusalem Unification Day”
Date: 15 May 2026
Location: Jerusalem
During celebrations marking the so-called “Jerusalem Unification Day,” Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian residents in occupied Jerusalem, physically attacked civilians, vandalized private property, and spat at a Christian priest. The attacks formed part of a broader pattern of intimidation and religious harassment.
- Assault on Residents of the Christian Quarter
Date: 14 May 2026
Location: Christian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem
Israeli settlers assaulted residents of the Christian Quarter, physically attacking civilians and damaging private property, further contributing to an atmosphere of insecurity and intimidation targeting Jerusalem’s historic Christian community.
- Destruction of a Statue of Jesus Christ
Date: 9 May 2026
Location: Southern Lebanon
Videos circulated online showed two Israeli soldiers deliberately destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, constituting an act of desecration of a Christian religious symbol.
- Mockery of the Virgin Mary and Christian Religious Symbols
Date: 8 May 2026
Location: Southern Lebanon
Videos released by the Israeli army showed soldiers mocking a statue of the Virgin Mary and engaging in degrading behavior toward Christian religious symbols in southern Lebanon, amounting to an affront to Christian religious beliefs and sacred symbols.
- Restrictions on Christian Pilgrims During the Feast of Saint George
Date: 6 May 2026
Location: Al Khader, Bethlehem
Israeli occupation forces blocked the main access road with earth mounds and closed secondary roads to prevent Christians from celebrating the Feast of Saint George (Al-Khader). The restrictions significantly reduced attendance at the religious celebration and disrupted the traditional commercial activities associated with the annual feast.
- Spitting Assault at Saint James Cathedral
Date: 2 May 2026
Location: Armenian Quarter, Jerusalem
An Israeli settler spat at the entrance of Saint James Cathedral in the Armenian Quarter of occupied Jerusalem, constituting another act of religiously motivated harassment targeting Christian places of worship.
- Denial of Pastoral Care to a Christian Prisoner
Date: 29 April 2026
Location: Israeli Prisons
After two years of repeated refusals, Palestinian Christian prisoner Rami Fadayel was finally provided with a copy of the Holy Bible. However, Israeli prison authorities continue to deny him access to pastoral care by preventing him from meeting with a Christian priest.
- Threats and Harassment Against a Christian Priest
Date: 29 April 2026
Location: Jerusalem
A Christian priest was subjected to verbal harassment and death threats inside a supermarket in occupied Jerusalem. During the incident, he was told, “Get out of the country” and “You should die,” in a clear act of religious intimidation.
- Physical Assault on a Nun
Date: 29 April 2026
Location: Jerusalem
An Israeli settler physically assaulted a Christian nun in occupied Jerusalem, constituting an attack on a member of the clergy and an act of religiously motivated violence.
- Encroachments on Lands Belonging to the Latin Patriarchate
Date: 23 April 2026
Location: Tayasir and Hammam al-Malih, Tubas
Israeli settler groups carried out encroachments on lands belonging to the Latin Patriarchate in the areas of Tayasir and Hammam al-Malih, constituting an infringement on church-owned property and the rights of Christian religious institutions.
- Confiscation of Correspondence Addressed to Female Prisoners
Date: 17 April 2026
Location: Damon Prison
The administration of Damon Prison prevented more than 1,000 postcards addressed to Palestinian female prisoners from churches supporting the Palestinian cause from reaching their intended recipients, denying prisoners communication and expressions of solidarity.
- Assault on Worshippers During Holy Fire Saturday
Date: 11 April 2026
Location: Saint James Church, Old City of Jerusalem
Israeli occupation police assaulted Christian worshippers celebrating Holy Fire Saturday inside Saint James Church, adjacent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and forcibly expelled them from the church, violating their right to worship freely.
- Assault on Holy Fire Celebrations and Suppression of Palestinian Identity
Date: 11 April 2026
Location: Old City of Jerusalem
Israeli occupation police assaulted Christians participating in the Holy Fire celebrations and obstructed the Scout procession during the annual Holy Fire Saturday observances. Police also arrested several participants on the pretext that the Palestinian flag appeared on the scouts’ uniforms and attempted to forcibly remove the flag, constituting a violation of both religious freedom and Palestinian national identity.
- Denial of Access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Date: 4 April 2026
Location: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Israeli occupation police prevented Palestinian and foreign Christians from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, restricting access to one of Christianity’s holiest sites and impeding the free exercise of religious worship.
- Mockery of Palm Sunday Amid Gaza’s Destruction
Date: 3 April 2026
Location: Gaza Strip / Israeli Army Video
Videos published by the Israeli army showed soldiers mocking Palm Sunday and Christian religious traditions while scenes of destruction in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel’s genocidal war appeared in the background. The footage was widely perceived as degrading Christian religious observances and showing disregard for the suffering of the Palestinian people.
- Installation of Gate to Facilitate Settler Movement
Date: 31 March 2026
Location: Ush Ghrab Road, Beit Sahour
Israeli occupation forces installed a new gate along the road to Ush Ghrab after altering its previous location. The repositioning of the gate enables unrestricted access for Israeli settlers to a settlement outpost east of Beit Sahour.
- Denial of Work Permits Threatening Christian Schools
Date: 29 March 2026
Location: Jerusalem / West Bank
The Israeli Ministry of Education announced that it will not issue work permits for Palestinian teachers residing in the West Bank for the 2026–2027 academic year.
This decision places more than 200 Christian teachers at risk of being unable to access their workplaces in Jerusalem’s Christian schools, thereby threatening the continuity of these historic institutions and undermining the sustainability of Christian education in the city.
- Obstruction of Palm Sunday Religious Ceremony
Date: 29 March 2026
Location: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, along with the Custos of the Holy Land, from entering the church to conduct Palm Sunday Mass.
- Establishment of Settlement Outpost Targeting Livelihoods
Date: 25 March 2026
Location: Taybeh, Ramallah
Israeli settlers forcibly established a settlement outpost by erecting a tent in close proximity to a stone quarry and concrete plant in Taybeh.
The action appears aimed at obstructing the operation of the facility, threatening a vital source of livelihood for Palestinian workers, and imposing a coercive reality designed to expand settlement presence.
- Forced Closure of a Major Christian Holy Site
Date: 20 March 2026
Location: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Israeli occupation authorities closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, preventing access to one of the most sacred sites in Christianity.
This unprecedented closure represents a severe restriction on religious freedom and denies worshippers access to a central place of faith and pilgrimage.
- Settler Assault and Economic Intimidation
Date: 19 March 2026
Location: Taybeh, Ramallah
A group of Israeli settlers entered a stone quarry in Taybeh, grazed livestock within the premises, raised the Israeli flag, and physically assaulted workers present at the site.
- Armed Settler Attack and Theft of Civilian Property
Date: February 28, 2026
Location: Taybeh, Ramallah
Armed Israeli settlers carried out an attack on the town of Taybeh. During the
assault, settlers stole a horse belonging to a local resident.
- Arbitrary Detention of a Minor
Date: February 28, 2026
Location: Aboud, Ramallah
Israeli occupation forces arrested 14-year-old Qais Akel from the village of
Aboud, near Ramallah.
- Vandalization of a cross belonging to a Christian Family
Date: February 23, 2026
Location: Al Makhrour Area, Beit Jala, Bethlehem
Israeli settlers were filmed vandalizing a cross belonging to a Christian family, after storming their property, constituting an attack on both private property and religious identity.
- Desecration of the Church of Visitation
Date: February 19, 2026
Location: Ein Karem, Jerusalem
Israeli settlers vandalized the Church of Visitation in Ein Karem. They spray-painted religiously charged graffiti, including calls for revenge and slogans that say: “Revenge”, “David, king of Israel lives and endures, and “The (Jewish) messiah is here”, on external structures and nearby vehicles.
- Continued Attacks on Civilian Property
Date: February 11, 2026
Location: Birzeit, Ramallah
Settlers dismantled protective fencing installed by residents and deliberately grazed livestock on privately owned land, reinforcing ongoing intimidation and dispossession.
- Harassment at the Monastery of Saint James
Date: February 7, 2026
Location: Armenian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem
Individuals identified as Haredi Jews spat at the entrance of the Monastery of Saint James.
- Arson Attack on Civilian Property
Date: February 4, 2026
Location: Taybeh, Ramallah
Settlers attacked the town of Taybeh and set fire to vehicles belonging to Palestinian residents, causing material damage and widespread fear among the residents of the town.
- Pattern of Public Religious Harassment
Date: January 30, 2026
Location: Jerusalem
A Jewish journalist disguised as a Christian priest was spat upon repeatedly within minutes in the Old City of Jerusalem.
- Attack on Residents and Obstruction of Access to Land
Date: January 29, 2026
Location: Ein Arik, Ramallah
Israeli settlers assaulted local residents and prevented them from accessing their lands.
- Harassment of Worshippers at the Church of Gethsemane
Date: January 29, 2026
Location: Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
Israeli settlers spat at worshippers and at the church entrance, violating the sanctity of a major Christian holy site and the right to safe religious practice.
- Assault on Clergy
Date: January 27, 2026
Location: Armenian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem
An Armenian priest was spat upon by an Israeli settler in an act of religiously motivated harassment targeting clergy and Christian presence in the Old City.
- Assault and Coercion Against Christian Family –
Date: January 24, 2026
Location: Birzeit, north of Ramallah
Extremist Israeli settlers assaulted a Christian family, forcibly grazed livestock on their private property, and physically attacked the mother, when she attempted to defend her land, causing serious injury. Israeli occupation forces subsequently detained family members at the scene and prevented their departure until one son surrendered himself. The incident demonstrates patterns of coercion, collective pressure, and failure to protect civilians and private property.
- Harassment of a Christian Woman
Date: January 23, 2026
Location: Jerusalem
A Christian woman was harassed by Israeli Haredi demonstrators while walking in the city.
- Militarization of Sacred Space – Church of the Nativity and Manager Square
Date: January 23, 2026
Location: Bethlehem
Israeli occupation forces deployed heavily in and around the church complex and surrounding streets, including armed patrols and troop concentrations. The military presence around one of Christianity’s holiest sites heightened fear among residents and reflects escalating pressure on Bethlehem’s historic Christian community.
- Restrictions on Christian Educational Institutions
Date: January 10, 2026
Location: Jerusalem/ West Bank
Israeli authorities suspended or restricted the issuance of entry permits for Palestinian teachers and administrators working in Christian schools to Jerusalem, who hold Palestinian IDs and reside in nearby towns outside the military checkpoints. More than 7,682 Palestinian students receive their education in 15 Christian schools in Jerusalem. These schools employ 820 teachers and staff, 183 of whom hold Palestinian IDs and requiring permits. 171 educators were directly prevented from reaching their work places. Sime schools lost nearly 30% of teaching staff in some schools, severely disrupting educational services and institutional continuity.
- Disruption of Mass at the Holy Family Church
Date: January 4, 2026
Location: Gaza
Israeli shelling disrupted a religious service inside the Holy Family Church, placing clergy and worshippers in direct danger and interrupting a religious service.
2025
- Settlement Expansion in Property Belonging go the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate – Jericho
Date: 2025
Location: Vicinity of Deir Hijleh Monastery (St. Gerasimus)
There has been continuous and aggressive expansion of illegal settlement outposts on Orthodox Church lands in the vicinity of Saint Gerasimus Monastery (Deir Hajla) near Jericho. Over the past two years, new settlement outposts have been established around the city of Jericho, posing a direct and existential threat to the historical and religious character of the region. This expansion is a calculated component of a broader plan to systematically erase the Christian and historical identity of Palestine.
- Severe Restrictions on Christmas Celebrations – Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Date: December 2025
Location: Bethlehem and Jerusalem
During the Christmas season, despite a return to public celebrations in Bethlehem, Israeli restrictions rendered the festivities unbearable. The cities are surrounded by checkpoints, gates, and roadblocks, severely impeding travel and preventing numerous Palestinian Christians and Muslims from reaching Bethlehem to celebrate this sacred period. This was further exacerbated by a series of illegal measures, including prolonged delays at checkpoints and a restrictive permit regime that limited Palestinian Christians’ travel and connection to Jerusalem. Permits were frequently denied, arbitrarily revoked, or issued with stringent limitations, thereby imposing severe restrictions on movement and worship for many Palestinian Christians desiring to celebrate Christmas in their ancestral cities.
- Illegal Settlement Expansion and Land Theft – Beit Sahour, Bethlehem
Date: November 19, 2025
Location: Ush al-Ghurab Hilltop, Beit Sahour, Bethlehem
Overnight, Israeli settlers illegally bulldozed the Ush al-Ghurab hilltop in Beit Sahour, a Palestinian town predominantly Christian. Immediately thereafter, caravans were placed on the hilltop, and a new illegal settler outpost named Shdema was declared. Residents of Beit Sahour, a town with the largest remaining Palestinian Christian community in the West Bank, assert that this encroaching settler presence directly threatens their existence. The outpost is strategically positioned to choke the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour and block its development. This area had been designated for essential public
facilities, including a children’s hospital, recreational areas, a cultural center, green spaces, and a community hall, with implementation already underway with donor support before settler pressure forced their suspension.
- Military Strike on Al-Ahli Arabi (Baptist) Hospital – Gaza
Date: August 17, 2025
Location: Gaza
An Israeli drone strike bombed Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital resulting in the killing of seven individuals, further demonstrating a disregard for civilian life and protected spaces.
- Freezing of Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Bank Accounts and Imposing Taxations – Jerusalem
Date: August 15, 2025
Location: Jerusalem
Israeli occupation authorities froze the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem and imposed exorbitant and punitive taxes on its properties. These actions represent economic warfare designed to cripple the financial stability and operational capacity of a key Christian institution.
- Arson Attack and Incitement at the Greek Housing Complex – Taybeh
Date: July 27, 2025
Location: Taybeh, Ramallah
In the early hours of the morning, Israeli settlers engaged in acts of arson, burning vehicles, and spray-painting inflammatory and inciting slogans on properties belonging to the Greek (Orthodox) Housing Complex. This constitutes a hate crime and an act of property destruction aimed at intimidating the Christian community.
- Military Strike on Holy Family Church – Gaza
Date: July 17, 2025
Location: Gaza
The Holy Family Latin Church was subjected to a direct Israeli bombardment, resulting in the killing of three civilians and critical injuries to over ten others, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. The church building and its facilities sustained severe damage, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the attack.
- Violation of Al-Khader Cemetery – Taybeh
Date: July 17, 2025
Location: Al-Khader Cemetery, Taybeh, Ramallah
In a blatant act of contempt for religious sanctity, an Israeli settler intentionally drove a herd of cows into the Al-Khader Cemetery, which belongs to the church in Taybeh. This egregious violation desecrated the burial grounds and insulted the dignity of the deceased, occurring within a broader context of escalating attacks and official impunity.
- Arson on Al-Khader Cemetery – Taybeh
Date: July 7, 2025
Location: Al-Khader Cemetery, Taybeh, Ramallah
Israeli settlers deliberately set fire to trees within the grounds of the Al-Khader Cemetery, causing environmental damage and further disrespecting a sacred burial site.
- Attack on Taybeh – Taybeh
Date: June 26, 2025 (peak incident), with ongoing escalation
Location: Taybeh, Ramallah
The predominantly Christian village of Taybeh has endured escalating attacks by Israeli settlers. A peak incident on June 26 saw dozens of settlers attack residents’ homes, ignite fires at their entrances, and display banners bearing explicit threats of displacement, such as “You have no future here.” Settlers also illegally seized agricultural lands, grazing their livestock and preventing Palestinian farmers from accessing their livelihoods. These attacks occurred with a complete absence of intervention from Israeli occupation forces, who instead provided protection to the perpetrators. These attacks, coupled with a severe siege on the town and the installation of iron gates at its entrances, have compelled over ten Christian families to abandon their homes since October 2023, reflecting a deliberate policy designed to erode the historical Christian presence in Palestine.
- Attempted Forcible Entry into Saint James Monastery – Jerusalem
Date: June 8, 2025
Location: Armenian Quarter, Old City, Jerusalem
Four Israeli settlers attempted to forcibly enter Saint James Monastery, falsely asserting ownership of the holy site. This act constitutes a direct challenge to the established status quo and an attempt to seize religious property.
- Airstrike on Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital – Gaza
Date: June 5, 2025
Location: Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza
An Israeli drone strike directly targeted the Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital, resulting in the killing of four journalists who were present to cover war crimes. This incident marks the eighth documented attack on this hospital since the commencement of hostilities, indicating a pattern of targeting medical facilities and civilians.
- Airstrike Targeting the Orthodox Cultural Center – Gaza
Date: May 2025
Location: Al Rimal, Gaza City
Israeli forces targeted the Orthodox Cultural Center, which includes cultural halls, recreational spaces, and a sports club. The attack caused widespread destruction to the facility.
- Airstrike on Rosary Sisters School – Gaza
Date: May 2025
Location: Gaza City
An Israeli airstrike severely damaged the Rosary Sisters School, a prominent Christian educational institution serving students – Christians and Muslims alike. Portions of the building were destroyed, and surrounding facilities sustained significant damage.
- Denial of Entry to Apostolic Nuncio – Jerusalem
Date: April 19, 2025
Location: Jerusalem
In a serious breach of diplomatic protocol, Israeli occupation authorities prevented Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, the Apostolic Nuncio and Vatican ambassador to the State of Palestine, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to attend the Holy Saturday liturgy. The archbishop was photographed standing behind a checkpoint, barred from participating in the sacred rites, in direct violations of diplomatic immunity and international agreements.
- Suppression of Worshippers on Holy Saturday – Jerusalem
Date: April 19, 2025
Location: Jerusalem
On Holy Saturday, Israeli occupation authorities militarized the Old City, establishing numerous checkpoints and physical barriers that severely restricted access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Worshippers, including those possessing valid permits, were subjected to physical assault with batons by Israeli police. Women and elderly individuals
were not spared from this brutality. Furthermore, police officers verbally assaulted worshippers inside the sacred confines of the church. Israeli authorities issued approximately 6,000 permits for Palestinian Christians from the occupied West Bank to enter Jerusalem for Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations, for a population of roughly 50,000 Christians. This represents a significant and arbitrary restriction on fundamental religious access.
- Attack on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital – Gaza
Date: April 13, 2025
Location: Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza
In the early hours of Sunday, April 13, 2025, Israeli occupation authorities issued evacuation orders targeting several departments within the Al-Ahli Arab (Baptist) Hospital (affiliated with The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem). Shortly afterward, an Israeli airstrike hit the hospital, directly striking the emergency intensive care unit and the pharmacy.
Casualties: A 13-year-old child, suffering from a head injury, tragically died during the chaotic evacuation process.
- Physical Assault on an Armenian Resident – Old City, Jerusalem
Date: March 18, 2025
Location: Old City, Jerusalem
An Armenian man from the Avakian family was violently attacked by a group of extremist settlers who attempted to strangle him. His life was saved only by the timely intervention of Palestinian passersby.
- Desecration of the Armenian Patriarchate – Jerusalem
Date: March 9, 2025
Location: Armenian Quarter, Old City, Jerusalem
A group of extremist Israelis deliberately spat upon the revered Armenian Patriarchate. This provocative act was widely disseminated through video evidence on social media, highlighting its public and defiant nature.
- Desecration of a Church in the Old City – Jerusalem
Date: February 28, 2025
Location: Old City, Jerusalem
Eight Israeli settlers were documented spitting upon a Christian church.
- Seizure of Armenian Patriarchate Property – Jerusalem
Date: February 20, 2025 (statement date)
Location: Armenian Quarter, Old City of Jerusalem
The Israeli-controlled Jerusalem Municipality issued a property seizure order against the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate, citing an unverified and undocumented Arnona (property tax) debt. In response, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a joint statement condemning the act as “legally dubious and morally unacceptable.” Such arbitrary and unjust measures pose a serious threat to religious freedom and church sustainability. In addition, it constitutes a grave breach of the longstanding status-que agreement on Jerusalem’s holy sites. This action endangers the Armenian Church’s economic viability, undermines its mission, and deprives the Armenian community of essential spiritual services.
2024
- On September 23, 2024
Israeli occupation forces raided the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, resulting in significant damage to the property of Dar al-Kalima University. During the raid, the forces deliberately targeted the university’s surveillance cameras, causing permanent damage. Additionally, random gunfire was directed at a glass dome under construction on the university campus, leading to shattered glass panels and posing a direct threat to the safety of workers, students, and staff present at the site.
No physical injuries were reported, though the university sustained considerable material damage.
- July 30th, 2024 – St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church, Gaza
Two Israeli missiles have hit the Greek Orthodox St. Porphyrios Church in Gaza, where dozens of forcibly displaced Palestinian Christians have taken refuge.
- April 3rd, 2024 – Armenian Quarter, Jerusalem
In a series of systematic and escalating attacks, a group of extreme Israeli settlers backed and by the Israeli police forcibly stormed a property belonging to the Armenian Patriarch, known as “Cow’s Garden”. Clergy and members of the Armenian community were subject to physical assaults during the incident.
- March 24th, 2024 – Jerusalem
Israeli occupation authorities restricted access for many Palestinian Christians residing in the West Bank and prevented them from going to Jerusalem to celebrate Palm Sunday according the Western Calendar to take part in the traditional Palm Sunday procession. Permits were cancelled after initially being issued.
- February 3rd, 2024 – Jerusalem
Extreme Israeli settlers attacked he Head of the Dormition Abbey of Virgin Mary, Abott Nikodemus Schnabel, as he walked through the Old City of Jerusalem. They directed personal verbal insults at him and used offensive language against Christianity.
2023
- December 28, 2023
A group of Armenian clerics and seculars were reportedly attacked by a violent mob of Israeli settlers as they held a vigil at Jerusalem’s Cows’ Garden property currently used as a parking lot. A mobile phone video filmed by one of the priests showed the Armenians clashing with dozens of masked Israeli settlers apparently trying to drive them out of the property. Several of them were reportedly injured as a result.
- December 18, 2023
Israeli invading forces destroyed the walls of Ahli Baptist Hospital’s front entrance in Gaza and detained most of the staff there. They left two doctors and four nurses to tend over 100 seriously wounded patients. Israeli invading tanks parked on the rubble of the hospital’s entry wall, blocking every access to the hospital.
- December 17, 2023
The YMCA building in Gaza City was bombarded with reports of loss of life and injury. the building and its nearby churches have been a place of shelter for hundreds of people since the beginning of Israel’s aggression on Gaza. The YMCA has always been a place of welcome, service and opportunity for everyone in its community.
- December 16, 2023
A Palestinian Christian mother and her daughter Nahida and Samar Anton were shot dead by Israeli sniper of the invading Israeli forces in Gaza. They were killed inside the Holy Family Catholic Church, where many Christian families has taken refuge, since the start of the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Seven more people were injured as they tried to protect others inside the Church compound.
The Covenant of the Sisters of Mother Theresa (Missionaries of Charity) was targeted by a rocket fired from an Israeli invading tank in Gaza. The building’s generator, fuel resources, solar panels and water tanks were destroyed, rendering it uninhabitable. The Covenant is home to over 54 disabled persons. They are currently displaced and without access to life-saving respirators.
- November 15-16, 2023
On two separate occasions on the evening of November 15th and the morning of November 16th, armed Israeli settlers backed by private security guards stormed the
Cows’ Garden premises (Goverou Bardez) in the Armenian Quarter in the old city of Jerusalem. This move aims to assert control over a land belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which constitutes 25% of the American Quarter in an attempt to change facts on the ground. Two bulldozers accompanied them. The Armenian community stopped the trespassers from progressing, but Israeli police intervened at around 11:00 pm on November 15th in big numbers. Instead of removing the trespassers, the Israeli police arrested 3 members of the Armenian community, including a 17-year-old child.
- November 4, 2023
Israeli airstrikes targeted the Rosary Sisters School in Gaza, which is affiliated with the Catholic Church. The bombing has resulted in significant damage to the school’s internal structure and a large outdoor playground. One of the school buildings has collapsed.
- October 30, 2023
Israeli war planes bombed the Greek Orthodox Church’s Arab Orthodox Cultural and Social Center, where 1000 displaced Palestinians took shelter. The eastern section of the center was totally destroyed, which housed a gym, a theatre, administrative offices and open spaces. Israeli occupation forces have issued a warning to evacuate the center on October 29th, 2023. The center serves all members of Palestinians in Gaza in various cultural, social and sports fields.
- October 19, 2023
Israel carried out airstrikes targeting the complex of St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox church in Gaza. The attack resulted in the destruction of the Church’s Council building killing of 17 Palestinian Christians, including 9 children, the oldest was 12 years old, while the youngest 3-months-old. Entire families were obliterated. 382 Palestinians sought shelter from indiscriminate Israeli bombardment.
- October 17, 2023
Israeli massive blast targeted Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Apart from its primary role in offering medical care to sick and wounded Palestinians, the hospital provided shelter for thousands of displaced Palestinians. The Israeli attack killed 500 Palestinians, many of them are children. The church adjunct to the hospital was also damaged. The hospital is run by the Arab Anglican Episcopal Church of the Holy Land. In Gaza and since the start of Israel’s genocide, Palestinian Christians, along with Churches and Christian institutions have not been spared from Israeli attacks.
- August 27, 2023
On the occasion of the Assumption of Virgin Mary, a traditional march to Jerusalem by Christian worshippers was disrupted by Israeli occupation forces. They didn’t only prevent entry to Jerusalem, but also employed force and shot tear gas at the
worshippers at Checkpoint 300, which cuts Bethlehem and Jerusalem. They sealed off the checkpoint until late hours, and the reduced the numbers of issued permits significantly.
- August 21: According to Wadi Abu Nassar, a group of radical Jews threw stones at the Angel Gabriel’s convent near Nazareth. A video documenting this criminal act captured the sound of stones hitting the convent, accompanied by the presence of young extreme Jewish men passing by and yelling in Hebrew, though exact words they used remain unclear.
- August 19: Israeli police prevented thousands of Christian worshippers from accessing the Mount of Tabor in the lower Galilee. This obstruction occurred during the annual celebration of the Feast of the Transfiguration.
- August 15: Armenians in Jerusalem reported instances of provocation from their Jewish neighbors on their Facebook page. They recounted disturbing claims of their Jewish neighbors insinuating ownership of their homes. One of the Jewish neighbors reportedly told some Armenians to “start packing-up”, raising widespread concerns among Armenian residents of Jerusalem.
- Early August: In a concerning incident, a young Armenian reported that Jewish settler attempted to urinate in front of the Saint George Monastery in the Old City of Jerusalem. The young Armenian intervened by pushing the intruder away to prevent him from insulting the Holy Site, leading to the intervention of the Israeli police, who not only defended the Jewish settler, but also detained the young Armenian for a period of 3 days.
- In July, Two Israeli extremist armed settlers stormed the Orthodox Church complex in the Mount Zion area of occupied Jerusalem, spread items on the church ground and announced they would remain there. When a church official asked them to leave, the settlers started shouting insults and racist slurs towards him, telling him to “get out” of the grounds, and claiming, “Mount Zion belongs to the Jewish people”.
- These attacks are not only directed at Christians in the Occupied Territory, but also target Palestinian Christians beyond the green line.
During the months of July and August, the Church and Monastery of Saint Elias in Haifa -also known as Stella Maris Monastery- was attacked several times and the attacks are still ongoing. On July 23, about 50 Israeli extremist settlers tried to break into the church. Local Christians and Muslims protected the Monastery from the attacks while the Israeli Police did nothing.
- In another incident, a group from a religious Jewish institute run by Rabbi Eliezer Berland were directed by the Rabbi to attack the same Monastery claiming rights to the place.
- In June, an Israeli settler threw stones and smashed the stained-glass windows of the room of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, known as the Cenacle.
- During the Catholic Pentecost ceremony on Mount Zion, south of Jerusalem’s Old City, about 20 ultra-Orthodox Jews blew trumpets and cursed loudly to sabotage the ceremony. Loud noises, curses and harassment is practiced daily by extremist Jewish settlers, particularly in the Christian Quarter in order to create a coercive environment for Christians living in the old city of Jerusalem. Attacks on Churches, holy sites and Christian properties, are a persistent occurrence, that is not receiving the appropriate reaction, locally or internationally, despite appeals, requests, and protests made by the Churches of the Holy Land.
- Continued attacks against Muslim holy sites further highlight the systematic nature of such assaults that threaten to erase Jerusalem’s pluralistic character and reflect an innate disdain and hostility for Christianity and Islam. This is evident in the calls of extremist Jewish settlers to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque and build the Jewish Temple in its place.
- These acts and practices have far-reaching consequences, and create a coercive environment that threatens Palestinian Christians’ presence in Jerusalem. The timing of these assaults during celebrations is not coincidental, as they aim to ignite a religious war and expel Palestinian Christians from their homes, their churches, and their Holy Land.
- Israel, the occupying Power, has long aimed to alter the historical and legal status and demographic composition of Jerusalem to ensure Jewish exclusivity and dominance, including through war crimes of forcible displacement, demolitions, and control over holy sites, all in violation of international law, including United Nations resolutions.
- Israel’s militarization of Christian religious ceremonies, and imposition of punitive measures through the combination of restrictions on access to churches, the subjugation of Holy Sites, and the brutal incessant violence inflicted on worshippers, violates the historical and legal Status Quo. For example:
- In April and during Easter celebrations, Israeli forces attacked Palestinian Christians and filled the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem with blocks and barriers, allowing only small numbers of Christians to enter. They also obstructed traffic in Khan Al-Zeit market and assaulted dozens of worshippers trying to cross the checkpoints and reach the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Also, days prior to the Holy Fire Saturday, footage shows extremist Israeli settlers spitting at Christian nuns as they walked down the Via Dolorosa, a historical path in the old city of occupied East Jerusalem.
- The assaults are inherent in Israel’s illegal occupation and years of systematic and structural subordination and discrimination against the Palestinian people, Christians and Muslims, to ensure Jewish supremacy and erasure of Palestinian history and identity.
- In March, 2023, Two Israeli extremist settlers broke into the Church of Gethsemane in the occupied city of Jerusalem, tried to sabotage the properties inside the church, and attacked the priests during Sunday Mass while hurling abusive remarks.
- In February, 2023, three extremist Israeli settlers stormed the Church of the Condemnation, located at the Second Station of the Via Dolorosa, smashed a statute of Jesus and attempted to set the church on fire.
- In January also, Israeli extremist settlers attacked the Armenian Convent of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem and climbed the Patriarchate’s walls to remove its flag. Further, a group of radical settlers attacked an Armenian restaurant at the New Gate in the Christian Quarter of the occupied city of Jerusalem, and threw chairs toward the restaurant and those who had been seated there. The attack came as extremist Israeli settlers cursed and chanted ‘Death to Arabs’ near Damascus Gate in occupied Jerusalem.
- On the first day of the year, about 30 graves in the Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery were toppled over and vandalized by extremist Israeli settlers and have not yet been repaired.
- Over the prolonged belligerent Israeli occupation, Palestinian Christians have been suffering from Israel’s discriminatory policies and practices, including illegal land confiscation, expropriation of properties, restrictions on freedom of worship, attacks on holy sites, in addition to persecution and harassment of religious personnel.
- Since the start of this year, Palestinian Christians have witnessed an alarmingly increased level of hostility and attacks by extremist Jewish settlers, including physical and verbal harassment, vandalism and attacks on churches on a daily basis.
- This year, countless hate crimes against Christians were documented in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. For instance, an Armenian priest in Jerusalem reported to have been spat on over 90 times so far this year.
- From graffiti, that reads “death to Christians”, to cursing and violent physical assaults, Palestinian Christians, particularly in Jerusalem, are facing a shocking increase in attacks following the establishment of an extremist government in Israel.
- Today, the 13,000 Christians of Jerusalem make up just 1 percent of the population of the Holy City, and suffer from systematic discrimination, that translates into acts of hatred against them, under the watch and encouragement of Israeli
officialsand forces. It is important to note that most of the attacks on Christians in Jerusalem go unreported.
2022
- August 29, 2022: The Zionist organization “HaYovel” seized Palestinian land in multiple areas across the West Bank.
- August 17, 2022: Israeli occupation forces raided and vandalized human rights institutions, including the Episcopal Church in Ramallah, breaking doors and storming rooms adjacent to these organizations.
- June 5, 2022: Israeli Settlers desecrated Christian graves at the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Greek Garden belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
- May 13, 2022: Israeli police violently disrupted the funeral procession of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jerusalem, attacking mourners, preventing them from carrying her casket, forcibly removing Palestinian flags, and assaulting participants.
- April 11, 2022: In an unprecedented move, Israeli authorities unilaterally restricted the number of worshippers allowed into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, limiting access to only 1,000 people inside the church and 500 in its courtyard.
- April 10, 2022: Israeli occupation forces obstructed Christian pilgrims and clergy from participating in Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem, physically assaulting worshippers, setting up military barriers, and arresting several participants. Similar attacks occurred on April 23, 2022, during Orthodox Easter celebrations.
- March 29, 2022: The extremist settler organization “Ateret Cohanim” seized the Little Petra Hotel, a property of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem.
2021
- May 19, 2021: Three extremist settlers attacked Armenian Orthodox clergy en-route to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, inflicting severe injuries that required hospitalization.
- May 1, 2021: Israeli police forcibly disrupted worshippers attending the Holy Fire ceremony, blocking access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, harassing clergy, and insulting them, and preventing nuns from reaching the church.
2020
- December 4, 2020: A settler attempted to set fire to the Church of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
- July 20, 2020: Israeli authorities stole an ancient Byzantine baptismal font from an archaeological site in Tuqu’, Bethlehem. The baptismal font estimated to be 1,600 years old, weighs approximately 7 tons and has a diameter of about 1.5 meters.
- March 4, 2020: In al-Makhrour, Beit Jala, Israeli occupation forces bulldozed agricultural land and declared it a closed military zone, advancing a settlement expansion project. This includes digging a tunnel to connect the Gush Etzion settlement to Jerusalem as part of an expansion of highway 60.
- February 22, 2020: An attack was carried out by settlers targeting properties belonging to the Latin Patriarchate in the Tayasir area. The settlers, accompanied and protected by Israeli occupation forces, attempted to establish illegal control over the area. This aggressive act is linked to the strategic significance of the area, which serves as a gateway to the Jordan Valley. The Israeli occupation authorities aim to seize control of this territory to further the expansion of illegal settlements.
1967 – 2019
- October 5, 2019: Israeli bulldozers razed 22 dunams of farmland in the Cremisan area, Beit Jala uprooting vineyards and olive and almond trees. A cave turned home by Palestinian Nasser Abed Rabbo to protect his land from being stolen was destroyed, who had lived on the land since 1967, was forcibly displaced in his absence.
- September 5, 2019: Settlers carried out excavation work in Wadi al-Makhrour, near Beit Jala, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to establish a new settlement outpost, causing irreversible damage to ancient terraces and agricultural land.
- June 17, 2019: The Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of settler organizations, allowing them to seize church-owned properties in Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem, belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.
- October 24, 2018: Israeli occupation forces arrested a monk who was participating in a protest organized by the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem. The occupation forces suppressed the protest, assaulting several monks and participants, both men and women, before detaining one of the monks. Additionally, the Israeli occupation forces set up barriers at the entrance to the monastery, attempting to prevent workers from entering. Despite these measures, the workers managed to enter amid protest chants. The protest was organized by the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in response to the Israeli occupation government’s refusal to allow the Coptic Church to carry out restoration work at Deir Al-Sultan. Instead, the occupation government has taken over the restoration efforts without the consent or approval of the Coptic Church.
- February 26, 2018: Following the imposition of property taxes on churches, church leaders in Jerusalem closed all churches in protest—only the second time in history the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was closed, both instances occurring under Israeli occupation.
- April 10, 2017: Israeli forces attacked Palm Sunday processions in Jerusalem, arresting clergy and Christian worshippers, including the secretary of the Latin Patriarchate.
- January 11, 2016: a fire was deliberately set in one of the rooms belonging to the Greek Church.
- January 2016: The Israeli High Court of Justice rejected petitions filed by the Beit Jala Municipality, local property owners, and the Cremisan Women’s Monastery against the construction of a section of the separation wall in the Bir Ona area of Beit Jala. The court’s decision allowed construction to proceed despite serious concerns regarding its impact on the local community. The completion of this section of the wall will sever Beit Jala residents from their agricultural lands in the Cremisan Valley, posing a direct threat to their livelihoods and further diminishing the remaining green spaces in Bethlehem Governorate. The Cremisan Valley serves as a crucial source of agricultural income and provides an essential green area for recreational and community activities. The valley is also home to two Salesian monasteries. The monks of the Cremisan Monastery produce wine and olive oil, while the women’s monastery operates educational institutions that serve hundreds of children in the region. The construction of this wall segment will result in the annexation of significant land areas, exacerbating existing hardships and further threatening the stability and economic well-being of the local population.
- February 10, 2016: Jewish extremists vandalized the cemetery of Beit Jimal Monastery near Beit Shemesh.
- February 26, 2015: The settler group “Price Tag” set fire to the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion, defacing its walls with anti-Christian graffiti. Despite clear evidence, Israeli courts acquitted the perpetrators in 2019.
- August 18, 2014: Israeli airstrikes targeted the area surrounding the Saint Porphyrios Church in Gaza, where 300 Palestinian families (approximately 2,500 people) had sought refuge. The attack destroyed 23 graves, damaged church structures, and caused extensive destruction.
- May 27, 2014: The Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem was set on fire, destroying its visitor registry and parts of its organ.
- May 23, 2014: Anti-Christian graffiti was written on a church in Beer Sabe.
- May 12, 20214: Jewish extremists vandalized vehicles near the village of Budrus Hanna in the Haifa district, spraying anti-Arab and anti-Pope graffiti.
- May 9, 2014: Jewish extremists defaced the walls of the Romanian Church in Jerusalem with offensive graffiti targeting Jesus Christ.
- April 29, 2014: Jewish extremists attacked the Church of Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee, smashing crosses and damaging benches.
- April 1, 2014: The “Price Tag” group vandalized the Rafat Monastery, damaging vehicles and defacing the monastery with anti-Christian slurs.
- Throughout 2014: Israeli occupation authorities carried out multiple violations against Our Lady Mary church, including bulldozing graves in its courtyard to pave a road over them. This was done without informing the families of the deceased buried there.
- Deir Al-Rouh Monastery: A Jewish extremist group detonated a bomb inside the monastery.
- St. George’s Church: The church was desecrated, its architectural features defaced, and it was converted into a nightclub. Additionally, its bell was removed and relocated to Liberty Park.
- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: A Jewish extremist group set fire to the church, resulting in the destruction of its doors and the burning of religious books.
- July 29, 2013: Israeli occupation forces raided the Cremisan Monastery in Bethlehem, vandalizing and tampering with its contents.
- May 31, 2013: Anti-Christian graffiti was sprayed on the walls of the Church of Mount Zion near the southern wall of the Old City of Jerusalem.
- December 11, 2012: Offensive graffiti targeting Jesus Christ was written on the walls of the Greek Orthodox Monastery near Saqr Park in Jerusalem.
- October 8, 2012: Unidentified Jewish extremists attacked the Romanian Church in Jerusalem with stones and empty bottles, causing structural damage but no reported injuries.
- October 2, 2012: Extremists defaced the entrance door of the Franciscan Monastery on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem by spraying offensive graffiti targeting Jesus Christ.
- September 3, 2012: A Jewish extremist desecrated Christian cemeteries in Beer Sabe, destroying several graves in a racially motivated attack.
- September 3, 2012: Settlers set fire to the entrance of the Latrun Monastery, located on the outskirts of Jerusalem, completely burning its main door and spreading the fire to another entrance.
- February 19, 2012: A Jewish extremist group, operating under the “Price Tag” group, vandalized the Baptist Church in West Jerusalem with anti-Christian graffiti.
- February 7, 2012: Settlers wrote anti-Christian slogans and threats of violence, causing damage to two vehicles belonging to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Cross in occupied Jerusalem.
- December 17, 2011: A Jewish extremist group, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, attacked the Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist near the Jordanian border, causing significant damage.
- October 30, 2010: Extremist settlers set fire to a church on Prophets Street in Jerusalem, using Molotov cocktails to completely destroy the ground floor of the building.
- February 5, 2010: Israeli occupation forces, accompanied by military vehicles, raided the Emmaus Church, forcing the guards to open its doors. They then entered the church and vandalized it, showing complete disregard for the sanctity of the site.
- In 2002: The construction of an eight-story hotel at the entrance to the German Colony in West Jerusalem led to the expropriation of property owned by the Armenian Church. The Armenian Patriarchate had leased this building since 1949 to provide housing for 20 Armenian families who had settled in the western part of Jerusalem after the 1948 war.
- Over several years, Israeli forces repeatedly stormed the village of Aboud near Ramallah, demolishing St. Barbara Church and confiscating agricultural lands. Church leaders reported frequent and violent attacks by Jewish settlers from
nearby settlements, including spitting on monks and nuns, verbal abuse, and the spray-painting of anti-Christian slogans.
- In 2002: Jewish extremists fired shells from the Abu Ghneim settlement, built on Bethlehem’s land, targeting the YMCA. The attack resulted in significant damage to homes and places of worship within the compound.
- In 2002: The Orthodox Church of Al-Khader in the town of Al-Khader, Bethlehem, was subjected to multiple Israeli shelling and gunfire attacks.
- In 2002: The statue of the Virgin Mary at Santa Maria Church in Bethlehem was shot at by Israeli soldiers.
- 2002: Israeli occupation forces raided the Syrian Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem.
- 2002: Israeli soldiers conducted raids on the Lutheran Church of Hope, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration, and the Episcopal Evangelical Church in Ramallah, searching all three sites.
- 2002: Israeli forces besieged the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and opened fire, causing fires at several entrances and significant damage to parts of the church. Additionally, Israeli troops raided the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Franciscan Monasteries.
- 2002: The Israeli military sealed off access roads to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, blocking worshippers from attending the Eastern Orthodox Holy Saturday services.
- 2002: Military vehicles surrounded the Emmaus-Qubeibeh Church, where armed Israeli soldiers stormed the building, forcing guards to open its doors and violating its sanctity as a holy site.
- 2001: Archimandrite Germanos, a monk at the Wadi Qelt Monastery in Jericho, was killed while driving near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement on the Jerusalem-Jericho Road.
- 2001: The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Beit Jala was targeted by rocket fire from the Gilo settlement, which is built on stolen Beit Jala land.
- 2001: Israeli forces occupied the Lutheran Reformation Church in Beit Jala, surrounding its courtyard and the orphanage school, which cared for forty disabled orphans, with tanks. The occupation was eventually lifted due to the intervention of Lutheran church leaders from Jerusalem and Jordan.
- 2000: The Israeli Municipality demolished Al Masad Church on the Mount of Olives, citing its construction without the required permits.
- 1999: The mother of Orthodox monk “Yoakim,” head of the Ascension Monastery on the Mount of Olives, was killed by Jewish extremists.
- 1998: Settlers killed an Italian monk residing at the “Elona” Church on the Shiah Road on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
- 1998: Israeli forces raided the Garden of Gethsemane Church on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, firing on worshippers inside the church.
- 1998: Heavily armed Israeli forces stormed the Latin Church in Jaffa and opened fire on the worshippers.
- May 18, 1995: Settlers attempted to set fire inside the Garden of Gethsemane Church on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
- July 23, 1992: The Israeli Municipality demolished the Greek Orthodox Monastery on the Mount of Olives, citing the absence of necessary permits.
- 1989: A group of Jewish extremists forcibly seized St. John’s Monastery in Jerusalem with backing and financial support from Israel’s Ministry of Housing. During the raid, Patriarch Theodorus was assaulted. To this day, settlers continue to occupy the monastery.
- 1982: The Baptist Church in Jerusalem was set on fire by an extremist group, resulting in the destruction of its library. The attack was repeated in 2007.
- 1978: Extremist groups looted the Russian Cathedral in Jerusalem, stealing copper crosses, valuable icons, and sacred vessels.
- 1973: St. George’s Church in Jerusalem was desecrated and repurposed as a nightclub.
- 1973: The International Center for the Bible on the Mount of Olives was deliberately set on fire by extremist settlers.
- March 24, 1971: An attempt was made to burn down the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. An Israeli individual entered the church and began smashing ancient chandeliers above the Holy Tomb. The intervention of monks prevented a full-scale fire.
- 1970: Israeli forces raided the Coptic Monastery in Jerusalem, looted its valuable belongings, and physically assaulted Bishop Basilios.
- March 25, 1970: Israeli occupation forces stormed the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate under the pretext of security measures for Easter celebrations. They canceled religious festivities, attacked monastery monks, changed the locks to the church doors, and set up iron barriers to prevent Coptic clergy from entering. The next day, Israeli authorities handed over the monastery keys to the Ethiopian monks residing there.
- April 25, 1970: Israeli forces launched a large-scale assault on the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, deploying hundreds of armed police officers. The attack forced the Archbishop of Jerusalem to cancel Easter Eve religious services.
- 1970: Israeli authorities seized all buildings of the German Schneller School in Jerusalem.
- 1970: Through fraudulent means, Israeli officials acquired the French Notre Dame Monastery, owned by a Catholic religious order.
- 1970: The Coptic Monastery and its clergy in Jerusalem faced repeated attacks and harassment.
- 1969: Extremist Israeli groups raided the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, stealing a gem-encrusted crown from the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Chapel of Calvary. The stolen crown was later seen for sale in Tel Aviv.
- 1968: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was once again targeted, with looters stealing precious jewelry adorning the Virgin Mary’s statue in the Chapel of Calvary.
- 1967: Israeli occupation forces attacked Christian clergy near St. Constantine’s Chapel inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. They later attempted to steal a cross and an icon from the vehicle of Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Theodorus.
- 1967: Israeli forces stormed the St. John Baptist Church in Ein Karem, smashing its doors and windows before looting its contents. They also defaced an image of the Virgin Mary holding Christ, altering it into a degrading depiction. This manipulated image was later displayed in a Tel Aviv exhibition with the inscription: “Hail to the Mother of Christ.”
- 1967: The crown of the Virgin Mary was stolen, and its precious pearls were removed before it was later returned. Meanwhile, St. George’s Church suffered significant damage from shelling, forcing the Latin Patriarchate to close several churches following repeated attacks and acts of theft.
- 1967: Israeli forces seized the Armenian Church of St. Saviour in Jerusalem, repurposing it as a military barracks.
- 1967: During Christmas Eve Mass, Israeli police officers were witnessed drinking whiskey inside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, as testified by Latin Bishop Nemeh Semaan.
- 1967: Seizure of St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church (Shamma’a, Jerusalem): Israeli authorities confiscated the church and converted it into a residential building.
- 1967: A group of extremist settlers stormed the Greek Orthodox Church at Jacob’s Well in Nablus and brutally murdered its head, Archimandrite Philoumenos. His mummified remains are still preserved in the Church of Zion (Greek Orthodox) in Jerusalem to this day.
