Occupation forces demolished homes and property across the West Bank, with the Jerusalem and Hebron municipalities the most adversely affected.
Homes were demolished in al-Jeeb in northwest Jerusalem and Hizma in the northeast, all under the pretext that they were built without permits. The Occupation municipality systematically refuses building permits to Palestinians in order to prevent the expansion of Palestinian communities, in accordance with the Masterplan 2000 scheme for the Jerusalem that aims to promote an expanded âGreater Jerusalemâ as the capital of the Jewish state.
At around 8:30 on Thursday morning, Occupation forces arrived at the house of Mahmoud Jarabiaâ Mohammed Kaâabni to the east of al-Jeeb, accompanied by jeeps and heavy machinery. There were clashes as the Israeli forces began to demolish the familyâs home, during which Mahmoudâs mother was hospitalized. The family are now staying with neighbours, considering where they should go now. Kaâabni bought the land in 1994 and has lived there with his six family members in a four-room house for the last four years. The Occupation municipality issued a demolition order for the property last year. The bulldozer destroyed another house nearby also owned by Mahmoud Kaâabni, home to three families, of Mahmoud Rabiya Kaâabni and his brothers Fouzi and Mohammed. Fifteen people living in the house are now homeless with nowhere to go.
In Hizma, Occupation forces from the municipality moved in at around 11am, with 4 jeeps, border police, civil administration, soldiers, and 1 bulldozer. To the north of the village, the forces bulldozed a house which was being built by Ahmad Yusuf an-Nunu on land owned by his mother near the Jerusalem-Jericho road. To the west, another house in the final stages of construction was destroyed, owned by Saâid âArrman Saâada. The house was to be home to him and his four children as well his as father and mother. They are currently living in his fatherâs house nearby.
Occupation forces also carried out demolitions in the southern Hebron district, east of the town of Yatta. The small communities here have faced land confiscations and home demolitions for some time. Population centres located south of road no. 80 have lost a considerable amount of land while at the same time being cut from nearby urban centres. Settler violence against Palestinian farmers and communities is widespread in this area.
At 8:00 am, Occupation forces and heavy machinery entered the village of ad-Dierat demolished the two-story home of Yasir Mohammed Ibrihim al-Adra and his family. Al-Adra shared the home with his brother Taysir Mohammed Ibrihim and his family; with the loss of the building 15 people are left homeless. Al-Adra, who built his home 5 years ago, was forced to do so without a building permit because the Occupation has refused to issue them in the area since 1967.
In Um Lasafa, a village located a short distance south of ad-Dierat, Occupation forces carried yet another demolition, this time razing the home of Jabrin Ismail al-âAdra and his five person family for a second time. The village of Um Lasafa is also constantly threatened by settlers in the illegal Karmel settlement, who have recently taken control of more village land.
Further south, Occupation forces also demolished four animal pens in the villages of Imneizil and Qawawis, both located south of Hebron. Additionally, a storage structure was destroyed in east Barta, southwest of Jenin.