Tens of thousands participated in the Jerusalem Day Flag March through the Old City's Muslim Quarter, leading to attacks on Palestinians and journalists. Police blocked access to the area and arrested five people for throwing objects at journalists.
Palestinian Christians are facing unprecedented restrictions on entering Jerusalem's Old City to celebrate Easter, with usual crowds of international worshippers absent and at least 200 leaders from the occupied West Bank given permits to enter the area, but their congregations not allowed access. The Old City is unusually empty due to the war in Gaza, and Palestinian Christians are desperate to visit their places of worship, but are being denied access. The restrictions have increased this year, making it very difficult for Palestinian Christians to access Jerusalem, and the war has added to their pain. Israeli settlers have made the Old City an almost no-go zone, attacking churches, Christian cemeteries, priests, nuns, and pilgrims, while Palestinian Christians have been deprived of walking the Via Dolorosa this year.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has severely impacted the economy of Jerusalem's Old City, which heavily relies on tourism. Many businesses, including restaurants and shops, are struggling to stay afloat as the number of tourists has drastically decreased. Shop owners express their financial struggles and the emotional toll of the conflict, with some unsure if they will be able to reopen. The empty streets and shut businesses paint a grim picture of the once-bustling Old City.
A Border Police officer was killed and another was injured in a stabbing terror attack near Herod's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. The attacker, a 16-year-old from the neighborhood of Issawiya, was killed by responding officers. One person was arrested on suspicion of aiding the attacker. The wounded officers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
A Palestinian woman attempted to stab an Israeli police officer in Jerusalem's Old City but was kicked to the ground and thwarted. The officer was unharmed due to a protective vest. The woman, who intended to "die a martyr," came from the West Bank. This incident is part of a series of random attacks against Israelis by Palestinians in recent weeks.
A Palestinian teenager stabbed two people, injuring one moderately, near Jaffa Gate, a main entrance to Jerusalem's Old City. The suspect was apprehended after a brief chase. The Old City is a frequent site of violence and tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. The attack occurred during a period of heightened violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with over 180 Palestinians and 30 Israelis killed this year.
Two people were wounded, one seriously, in a terror stabbing near Jerusalem's Old City. The attack was carried out by a 17-year-old Palestinian who used a cleaver. The assailant was arrested after a brief chase. The seriously wounded victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Tensions remain high in the region due to a string of Palestinian attacks.
Law enforcement in Knoxville, Tennessee responded to reports of gunshots fired in the Old City area. Police recovered shell casings from a parking lot and found two vehicles hit by the gunfire, but no victims were found. The investigation is ongoing and there are currently no known suspects.
After a 45-year legal battle, the Israeli Supreme Court has ordered the eviction of Nora Ghaith-Sub Laban and her husband Mustafa from their home in Jerusalem's Old City, which is now filled with Israeli settlers. The eviction is scheduled to take place on July 13, coinciding with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha. The case is part of a wider effort by Israeli settlers, with government backing, to cement Jewish control over the contested city. Over 1,000 Palestinians currently face eviction in east Jerusalem, sparking protests and tensions in the region.
Jerusalem Day celebrations were marked by nationalistic fervor and violence in the Old City. While tens of thousands of religious-Zionist Israelis celebrated the reunification of the city and the capture of Judaism's holiest sites, confrontations between Jewish and Arab youths and hostile ethno-nationalist sentiment were also on display. Palestinian merchants were required to shut down their shops early, and security personnel dealt harshly with Palestinians present in the area. Far-right and ultranationalist politicians attended the event, with some calling for Jewish control over the entire city. The day's events highlight the ever-present, simmering tensions within a highly divided Jerusalem.
Knoxville Police are searching for a suspect who shot at two people in the Old City area in a domestic-related incident. The suspect fled in a car and is currently not believed to be in the area. No one was injured in the shooting.