Civilian police force of Israel
Israeli police arrested Raz Cohen, a 26-year-old Iron Dome reservist, on suspicion of passing security secrets to Iran. Cohen maintained contact with Iranian agents over several months, providing details about Israel’s military defenses. The arrest occurs amid ongoing Israel-Iran hostilities and recent missile exchanges that have resulted in civilian casualties.
On April 11, 2026, Ali Majed Hamadneh, 23, has died after Israeli settlers opened fire during a raid on Deir Jarir village in the West Bank. The attack occurred under Israeli military protection amid a surge in settler violence and government approval of 34 new settlements. The incident has intensified criticism of settlement expansion and settler attacks in the occupied territory.
On Palm Sunday 2026, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo from entering Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, citing security concerns due to ongoing conflict with Iran. This marked the first such restriction in centuries, sparking international criticism and diplomatic protests over religious freedom during Holy Week.
Since early April 2026, Jerusalem's Old City holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, have reopened after a six-week closure due to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has repeatedly entered Al-Aqsa, performing Jewish prayers forbidden under the Status Quo, sparking Palestinian and Jordanian condemnation. Restrictions on Muslim worshippers and settler incursions continue, raising fears of escalating tensions and changes to the site's religious status.
Palestinians report Israeli restrictions and provocations at Jerusalem's holy sites, including attempts by Jewish extremists to perform animal sacrifices at Al-Aqsa. Israeli authorities reopened the sites after weeks of closures due to regional conflict, but tensions persist with reports of incursions and restrictions affecting Muslim, Christian, and Jewish worshippers.
In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israeli forces have clashed during raids and patrols, with several fatalities reported in Silwad and Hebron. Separate incidents involve settlers attacking Palestinian communities and clashes near Deir Jarir, Nablus, and Masafer Yatta. The pattern of violence has intensified amid ongoing regional pressures and wartime dynamics.
Reports have documented a continuing surge of violent attacks by Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank this spring: arson, beatings, shootings and property destruction. Israeli forces are regularly present during incidents, with limited arrests reported; Palestinian authorities say bodies have been withheld after some killings, preventing burial and mourning.
Tens of thousands of Israeli nationalist marchers have marched through Jerusalem's Old City for Jerusalem Day, chanting anti‑Palestinian slogans, vandalising property and prompting many Palestinian shopkeepers to shut. Far‑right ministers have entered the Al‑Aqsa/Temple Mount compound and unfurled an Israeli flag. Activists have deployed to protect locals and regional governments have condemned the incursions.
Protests by ultra‑Orthodox communities have paralysed central Israel, with police declaring the rallies illegal and clashing with demonstrators. A demonstrator and a bus passenger have been injured in Jerusalem, while traffic and rail services are disrupted across major routes and stations.