UN Experts Warn of ‘Irreparable Damage’ to Jerusalem Amid Escalating Violence

“Irreparable harm is being inflicted on Jerusalem as violence engulfs the region and genocide continues in Gaza and spills into the West Bank,” the experts said.

United Nations human rights experts have warned that Jerusalem is undergoing profound and potentially irreversible changes as escalating violence across the occupied Palestinian territories continues to reshape the city’s demographic, religious and political landscape.

In a stark warning, the experts said that actions taking place in Jerusalem during the ongoing war in Gaza risk permanently damaging the city’s historic character as a shared spiritual centre for Muslims, Christians and Jews.

“Irreparable harm is being inflicted on Jerusalem as violence engulfs the region and genocide continues in Gaza and spills into the West Bank,” the experts said.

They warned that Israel is accelerating policies that alter the city’s demographic composition and legal status, undermining the pluralistic heritage that has defined Jerusalem for centuries.

“Under the cover of an existential war against the Palestinians, Israel is accelerating measures that alter Jerusalem’s demographic composition, religious character and legal status,” the experts said. “What is being done to this world symbol of spiritual coexistence and shared heritage is irreversible.”

Escalating Killings, Arrests and Demolitions

According to data cited by the UN experts, the situation in occupied East Jerusalem has sharply deteriorated in recent years.

Between 2021 and 2025, at least 144 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Jerusalem’s Governorate, while 11,555 Palestinians were arrested, amid allegations of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment.

Authorities have also issued 2,386 deportation orders and carried out more than 1,732 demolitions and land-levelling operations, often forcing Palestinian residents to demolish their own homes under threat of heavy fines or imprisonment.

UN experts say these policies are contributing to the systematic displacement of Palestinians from the city.

“These are not security measures,” the experts said. “They are components of a systematic project of demographic engineering and domination to entrench exclusive Jewish control.”

Communities Cut Off From Jerusalem

The experts noted that expanding checkpoints and closures are increasingly severing East Jerusalem from the wider Palestinian territories.

These restrictions isolate Palestinian communities from their social, cultural and economic networks, while also limiting access to religious sites and essential services.

Bedouin communities in particular face mounting pressure. Thirty-three Bedouin communities, home to more than 7,000 Palestinians, are reportedly at risk of displacement due to repeated demolitions and land seizures.

Loss of access to natural resources and traditional grazing lands has further undermined their ability to sustain their livelihoods.

Discriminatory Property Laws and Evictions

UN experts also highlighted legal measures that they say disproportionately affect Palestinian residents.

Under current Israeli laws, Palestinians are barred from reclaiming property lost during the 1947–1949 period, while Israeli Jews are allowed to pursue claims over properties in East Jerusalem.

These laws underpin ongoing eviction cases in neighbourhoods such as Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan, which have become focal points of international concern over forced displacement.

The experts stressed that international humanitarian law and human rights law prohibit the confiscation of private property and the forcible transfer of protected populations.

“Such acts constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention and may amount to war crimes,” they said. “Yet decades of invoking this legal framework have failed to halt the violations — impunity granted to Israel has become an enabler.”

Restrictions on Worship and Education

The report also raises concerns about growing restrictions on religious freedom and access to education in East Jerusalem.

Christian and Muslim communities have reportedly faced harassment and restrictions when attempting to access religious sites.

In 2025 alone, 73,871 settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound were recorded, according to the experts.

During major religious periods such as Ramadan, access limitations have significantly restricted Palestinians’ ability to participate in religious observances.

Meanwhile, recent legislation affecting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has disrupted educational services for Palestinian children, with violations reported at UNRWA facilities in East Jerusalem.

Call for International Action

The UN experts urged the international community to act decisively to address what they described as a rapidly deteriorating situation.

Their appeal follows the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful, which calls on states not to recognise or assist the occupation.

The experts urged governments worldwide to comply with the ruling and take collective action to end the occupation.

“What is unfolding mirrors colonial enterprises of past centuries, carried out in real time, undermining a fully developed international legal system,” they said.

They warned that failure to act could permanently erase Jerusalem’s diverse cultural and religious heritage.

“What is erased now — the richness of Jerusalem’s communities, heritage and rights — will not be restored,” the experts said. “Inaction is not neutrality; it is complicity.”