Israeli occupier spits at entrance of Christian monastery in occupied East Jerusalem

An Israeli occupier spat at the entrance of the Monastery of St. James in the Armenian Quarter of occupied East Jerusalem's Old City, Palestinian authorities said Sunday.

The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that the incident was part of a series of repeated attacks targeting churches, monasteries and Christian clergy in the Old City, including spitting, insults, physical assaults and vandalism.

It also released a video showing the Israeli occupier spitting at the entrance of the monastery.

The incident came a day after Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin met a delegation from Churches for Middle East Peace on Saturday to discuss Israeli attacks against Christians.

During the meeting, Shahin briefed the delegation on the "deteriorating situation in the West Bank and escalating violence by Israeli occupiers under the protection of the Israeli army," according to a statement by her office

She also highlighted challenges facing the Christian presence in Palestine and a sharp decline in the Christian population due to difficult conditions faced by Palestinians.

Members of the delegation said their visit was intended to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and voiced concern over challenges facing Christians and their declining numbers in the Holy Land and across Palestine.

On Aug. 11, the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine said Israeli attacks against Christian communities threatened their longstanding presence in the land.

The committee said attacks against Palestinian Christians were "no longer isolated incidents," but part of an ongoing pattern that included attacks by Israeli occupiers, land confiscations, settlement expansion and restrictions on freedom of worship.

About a week ago, Christian schools in occupied East Jerusalem suspended classes until further notice after Israel failed to renew entry permits for more than 70 teachers and staff members, preventing them from reaching their schools.

The developments come amid repeated attacks against the Christian presence in the Palestinian territories, including attacks on clergy and churches involving spitting, insults and other forms of harassment.

Since the start of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the occupied West Bank has witnessed a sharp rise in daily Israeli military raids and attacks by occupiers.