Israel issues demolition orders for 6 Palestinian homes in Hebron

Israeli occupation authorities issued demolition orders for six Palestinian homes and two water wells in the occupied West Bank.

These Palestinian homes and water wells are located, according to Palestinian activist Rateb Lajbour, in the villages of Al-Jwaiya and Umm Lasfa, in the south of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

Lajbour said Israeli occupation forces raided Al-Jwaiya and handed the demolition orders to the property owners.

Israel demolishes Palestinian homes and approves new Israeli settlement homes – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

The Palestine Data Centre documented the demolition of 40 Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem last month in addition to the issuing of dozens of demolition orders for homes and facilities.

The demolition of Palestinian homes across the occupied territories has increased since the extreme far-right government led by Benjamin Netanyahu took office. Ministers such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich publicly advocate the expulsion of Palestinians and the demolition of their homes. Observers point out that the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians didn’t end in 1948 when the state of Israel was formed; it is ongoing.

Moreover, building licences are notoriously difficult and very expensive for Palestinians to obtain; they are rarely issued by the occupation authorities. With growing families, therefore, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem either have to extend their homes or build new ones without licences. This leaves them subject to demolition by the Israelis.

READ: Israel demolishes Palestinian home in East Jerusalem