Palestinian woman hugged her son’s tombstone in the al-Yusufiye cemetery in East Jerusalem on Oct. 25 to shield it from Israeli forces.
Located near the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the wall surrounding the Old City, al-Yusufiye Cemetery - also known as the Martyrs’ Cemetery - is centuries old, making it one of the oldest Muslim graveyards in occupied Jerusalem. It is dedicated to Palestinians who lost their lives while fighting Israeli forces in 1976.
Throughout the years, Israeli forces have desecrated some of the cemetery’s graves through exhumations, excavation works, and construction projects on top of graves. Moreover, the occupation tore down the cemetery’s stairway and fence, outlawed the maintenance of the area, and banned the digging of additional graves.
More recently, parts of the al-Yusufiye cemetery were demolished earlier this October following a decision by the Israeli municipality and the Israeli Nature Authority to build a “Biblical Trail” - a group of theme parks in places in Jerusalem that the Israeli regime claims were settled by Jews centuries ago.
As such, the dead in al-Yusufiya share the same fate as Palestinians living in occupied Jerusalem: they are not left in peace.
After hearing of threats by the Israeli regime to raze the graves, Ola Nababteh instinctively threw her body near her son’s grave and sobbed. She spent her days protecting the grave, defying Israeli occupation forces, and resisting their attempts to push her away.
“Pour the earth over me and bury me beside him,” cried 54-year-old Nababteh, who lost her son Alaa four years ago after his younger brothers had also been murdered in 2015 and 2016. “Oh my son Alaa, I am here, I will not leave. You will only exhume my son over my dead body.”
Nababteh is not alone. Dozens of Palestinians have been arriving at the cemetery to protect their relatives’ graves which have been buried in the area for centuries. In response, Israeli forces have relied on batons, stun grenades, and skunk water in order to disperse the gathering crowds.
The Committee for the Care of Islamic Cemeteries in Jerusalem raised the issue in front of Israeli courts and demanded the prohibition of the bulldozing, calling upon Israeli authorities to respect the sanctity of the martyrs. Nevertheless, these objections have been rejected and the excavation works continue despite uncovering human remains in the area.
According to Mustafa Abu Zahra, the head of the committee, Israeli forces have filled the remaining graves with soil and built a fence to separate the Martyrs Cemetery from the rest of Al-Yusufiya as part of the conversion process.
“The graves of human beings cannot be violated no matter the gender, nationality, or religion,” stressed Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, asserting that the park that was being built constituted a sacrilegious assault.
The Israeli regime’s actions constitute a clear violation of international law and human rights statutes. According to the Geneva Convention, countries involved in armed conflict must bury the deceased in an honorable and respectful way.
“As a mother, what do you think my feelings will be when I watch them try to raze my son's grave?” asked Nababteh. “Pain, pain, and heartbreak.”