Hirak| Collective Punishment in Jerusalem

This paper, written by youth from the Hirak project, examines how the Israeli occupation uses collective punishment in Jerusalem as a tool to disseminate “Palestinophobia”. Building on the Fourth Geneva Convention, particularly Articles 33 and 49, it shows that punitive house demolitions, residency revocations, and denial of family reunification constitute prohibited collective penalties and contribute to the forcible transfer of Palestinians from the city. The paper presents concrete cases between 2014 and 2017, where dozens of people – including many children – were displaced and hundreds more placed under threat of demolition. It concludes with a call to end these policies, hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations in Jerusalem, strengthen Palestinian unity, and urge the international community to exert effective pressure to ensure respect for international law.