Israeli army demolishes Palestinian park, car showroom in occupied West Bank

Israeli army bulldozers demolished a park and a car showroom owned by Palestinians in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, in the latest wave of demolitions in the occupied territory, Anadolu reports.

Local sources said Israeli forces raided the “Mansour Land” park along the Nabi Ilyas Jayyous road in Qalqilya and began leveling the site, which spans about 8,000 square meters.

The sources estimated the demolition losses at around $1.5 million.

In a separate incident, army bulldozers demolished part of a home wall and a section of a car showroom in the village of al-Zawiya, south of Jenin, according to the sources.

The demolitions were carried out on claims of construction without permits in Area C, as defined under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, the sources said.

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Under the agreement, Area A falls under full Palestinian control, Area B under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control, while Area C remains under full Israeli control and makes up about 60% of the West Bank.

Demolitions are part of a broader Israeli policy targeting Palestinian structures in areas under its control, amid strict restrictions that Palestinians say make it difficult to obtain building permits.

Since the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 8, 2023, attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers in the West Bank have killed 1,133 Palestinians, wounded about 11,700 others and led to nearly 22,000 arrests.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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