Since the Beginning of This Month
Union for Justice: Settler Attacks and House Demolitions Force Over 75 Families to Flee Their Homes in the West Bank
July 8, 2025 – Union for Justice
The Union for Justice Foundation stated that the daily attacks and assaults carried out by settlers, alongside house demolitions executed by the occupation authorities, have forced more than 75 Palestinian families to flee and leave their homes in the West Bank since the beginning of July.
The Foundation explained that 30 Palestinian families living in a Bedouin village called “Arab al-Malihah”, located at the end of winding roads northwest of Jericho in the eastern West Bank, were forced last Friday to leave their tin houses, dismantle their tents, and move to Aqabat Jabr Camp, south of Jericho, due to repeated attacks by occupation soldiers and settlers.
The Foundation pointed out that this displacement occurred one day after 20 other families from the same village, which has around 500 residents in total and consists of 85 families, were forced to leave. All of these families remain under threat of further displacement in the coming days.
The Palestinian village of Arab al-Malihah experiences daily attacks and assaults by settlers who recently established a new settlement outpost less than 150 meters from the Palestinian homes. The settlers enjoy full protection and support from occupation soldiers.
These attacks include vandalizing homes, assaulting residents with sticks and stones, stealing livestock, burning crops, poisoning water wells, blocking roads, and preventing sheep grazing.
Displacement in Khan al-Ahmar
In a scene mirroring what is happening in the village of Arab al-Malihat in the Jordan Valley, on Sunday morning, 15 families comprising 90 people living in the Bedouin hamlet of al-Hathrura in Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem, packed up the remaining belongings and tents and were forced to leave their homes.
The Union for Justice Foundation stated that settler attacks and the repeated restrictive policies enforced by occupation authorities compelled these families to relocate to safer areas.
The Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, located 15 km east of occupied Jerusalem, is one of 46 Bedouin communities in the West Bank. The Ma’ale Adumim settlement was established on its lands in 1977. It is the second-largest settlement in the West Bank and serves as a focal point for the pressure exerted on Palestinian Bedouins in the Jerusalem area.
The residents of Khan al-Ahmar originally belong to the Jahalin Bedouin tribe, which was expelled from the Palestinian Negev by Zionist militias in 1952 and whose lands were occupied in 1967.
Settler Violence and Palestinian Displacement
Over the past two years, organized attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank have become the primary factor driving their displacement from Area C, while house demolitions under the pretext of lacking permits have historically been the main reason.
According to reports from international bodies, in 2023, 1,600 Palestinians were displaced due to settler violence, compared to 300 Palestinians displaced due to house demolitions by the Civil Administration.
In 2024, 620 Palestinians were displaced due to settler violence, compared to 370 due to house demolitions. Between 2020 and 2024, settler violence increased sevenfold.
Displacement of 50 Palestinian Citizens near Ramallah
Alongside settler attacks, house demolitions carried out by the occupation authorities—especially in Area C—continue to be one of the main factors causing the displacement of Palestinian citizens from their homes.
On the morning of Sunday, July 7, 2025, Israeli bulldozers demolished a residential building belonging to the family of Mahmoud Muhammad Musa Al-Habl in the village of Kharbatha al-Misbah, west of Ramallah. The building, consisting of four floors, was demolished under the pretext that it was constructed without a permit.
According to the Union for Justice Foundation, the demolition left around 50 Palestinian citizens, half of them children and women, homeless and forced them to stay with relatives until alternative housing could be found. The building had been standing for over 20 years.
The Union for Justice emphasizes that the occupation’s policies, which involve coordinated roles between settlers and soldiers, ultimately aim to displace all residents of Bedouin communities, particularly in the Jordan Valley, to expand settlements and impose new demographic and geographic realities on the ground.
The occupation also seeks to reduce the Palestinian presence in Area C, which is considered an extension of settlements, through widespread demolition of Palestinian structures—operations that have intensified since October 7, 2023.
