WEST BANK (Dispatches) – The Zionist regime is escalating demolition orders against Palestinian buildings and other facilities in the occupied West Bank and within the occupation state under the pretext that they have been built without construction permits, the Palestinian Information Centre has reported.
The Israeli occupation forces have lately ordered the demolition of seven houses in Furush Beit Dajan village east of Nablus as part of an unprecedented demolition campaign, according to the head of the village council, Tawfiq Hajj Mohammed.
In Taquu village south of Bethlehem, Israeli bulldozers have destroyed a two-storey house belonging to the siblings Usama and Tayseer Sulaiman. A complete siege was imposed on the area banning citizens from getting anywhere near while the demolition took place.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian citizen was forced to self-demolish his house in Wadi Ara in the occupation state to avoid paying exorbitant fines.
In Sur Baher village to the south of Jerusalem, al-Taqwa Mosque was bulldozed by the occupation regime last Wednesday. The regime also demolished Hamza Mosque in the Jenin refugee camp, said the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf (Religious Endowments), adding that such a practice violates international laws and conventions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that the Israeli demolition of the mosque is a grave violation against the Palestinian people and their religious sanctities.
East of Bethlehem, the occupation forces raided an-Noa’man village and delivered demolition notices for 45 houses, in an attempt to destroy the entire village.
Jamal Al-Daraawi, the head of the village council, affirmed that such orders aim at the forced displacement of the Palestinian residents prior to their land being annexed by the Zionist regime’s municipality in occupied Al-Quds. An Israeli military court, added al-Daraawi, imposed a property tax on each home in the village a year and a half ago.
The Israeli occupation authorities have also destroyed the homes of Bedouin villagers in al-Araqib village in the Negev for the 235th time in yet another attempt to displace the villagers.
The Zionist regime destroyed at least 8,765 Palestinian facilities, including 3,107 agricultural buildings and 2,725 houses, in the occupied West Bank and Al-Quds between January 2010 and January 2025, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Demolition campaigns are not only meant to forcibly displace Palestinian people from their homes, but also aim to break the determination of the Palestinian people and their legitimate resistance against the Israeli occupation.
In a related issue, the Knesset — the Zionist regime’s parliament — has approved a draft law allowing Jewish settlers to take over direct ownership of land and assets owned by Palestinians, which further encourages settlement activities on Palestinian lands. All of Israel’s settlements and the settlers who live in them are illegal under international law and are regarded as a war crime.