UN Experts Warn Against The Irreversible ‘De-Palestinisation’ Of Jerusalem – UN Special Procedures
United Nations human rights experts have issued a stark warning about what they describe as the accelerating “de-Palestinisation” of Jerusalem. The UN Special Procedures experts say escalating violence, demographic changes, and legal measures are reshaping the city in ways that could irreversibly alter its historic pluralistic character.
UN experts warn of irreversible changes to Jerusalem
Irreparable harm is being inflicted on Jerusalem, as violence engulfs the region, and genocide continues in Gaza and spills into the West Bank, UN experts* warned today.
Concerns over demographic and legal changes in Jerusalem
“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, destroying the remnants of the pluralistic fabric that Jerusalem has represented for centuries, for Muslims, Christians and Jews, ” the experts said.
“What is being done to this world symbol of spiritual coexistence and shared heritage is irreversible.”
Escalating demolitions, arrests and displacement
In occupied East Jerusalem, extrajudicial killings, large-scale demolitions and forced displacement have escalated. Checkpoints and closures are severing the city from its Palestinian hinterland, isolating communities from their social, cultural, economic and religious life and undermining their rights to self-determination and development. Punitive policing and systematic interference with freedom of worship are designed to coerce Palestinians to leave.
“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.”
The scale is stark. Between 2021 and 2025, 144 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Jerusalem’s Governorate. At least 11,555 were arrested, amid allegations of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment. Authorities issued 2,386 deportation decisions and carried out more than 1,732 demolitions and land-levelling operations, often coercing residents to demolish their own homes under threat of heavy fines or imprisonment. Thirty-three Bedouin communities, home to more than 7,000 Palestinians, are being pushed toward displacement through repeated demolitions and land seizures. The deprivation of access to natural resources have stripped away their subsistence, forcing many to leave.
Property laws and evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan
Israel’s discriminatory legislation drives this process: barring Palestinians from reclaiming properties lost in 1947–49 while enabling Israeli Jews to do so, and advancing unlawful expropriation measures underpinning ongoing evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan.
The experts said international humanitarian law and human rights law unequivocally prohibit confiscation of private property and the forcible transfer of a protected population. “Such acts constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention and may amount to war crimes. Yet decades of invoking this legal framework have failed to halt the violations – impunity granted to Israel has become an enabler.”
Education, religious access and pressure on communities
Children’s access to education has deteriorated following legislation obstructing the work of UNRWA and violation of its premises, including in East Jerusalem. Frequent militarised incursions, coupled with expanding settler presence, have resulted in harassment, arrests and sweeping restrictions on Palestinian access to holy sites. 73,871 settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound were reported in 2025 alone. Christian communities have faced assaults and restrictions, particularly during religious observances.
“Especially during Ramadan, access limitations have gravely curtailed Palestinians’ ability to participate in religious life.”
UN experts raise concerns about ethnic cleansing allegations
“These acts must be understood in their totality: the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, by whatever means, whatever the cost and whatever crimes it takes. This environment is coercing Palestinians to leave their homes and life in a city where their roots run deep,” the experts warned.
Calls for international action following ICJ advisory opinion
The experts urged immediate international action, especially in the wake of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion which declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory unlawful, and called on all States to refrain from recognising or aiding the occupation and to act collectively to end it.
“What is unfolding mirrors colonial enterprises of past centuries, carried out in real time, undermining a fully developed international legal system,” they said.
“What is erased now – the richness of Jerusalem’s communities, heritage and rights – will not be restored. Inaction is not neutrality; it is complicity,” the experts warned.
UN Special Rapporteurs issuing the warning
*The experts:
- Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967
- Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
- Ashwini K.P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
- Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
- George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order
- Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Surya Deva, the Special Rapporteur on the right to development
The UN experts’ statement highlights the growing international concern about the long-term implications of the conflict for Jerusalem’s communities and heritage. As tensions continue across Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, calls for accountability and protection of civilian populations remain central to ongoing international debate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “de-Palestinisation” of Jerusalem mean?
The term refers to concerns that demographic changes, property laws and displacement policies could reduce the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem and alter the city’s cultural and political character.
Why is East Jerusalem disputed?
East Jerusalem was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed, a move not recognised by most of the international community.
What is the ICJ advisory opinion referenced by UN experts?
The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories raises significant concerns under international law.
