“Union for Justice”: The Occupation Carried Out More Than (55) Demolition Operations in the West Bank Last Month
5/2/2026 – Union for Justice Foundation
The Union for Justice Foundation stated that the Israeli occupation authorities continue to use house and facility demolitions as part of a general policy aimed at expelling Palestinians from the West Bank and replacing them with settlers.
It added: “The occupation uses the demolition of homes and residential apartments as a punitive measure against the families of martyrs and prisoners, and also seeks to economically suffocate Palestinians by demolishing industrial, commercial, agricultural facilities and livestock structures, which constitute a source of income for citizens.”
The Foundation affirmed that although the occupation authorities announced, on paper, the freezing of the “plan to annex the West Bank and impose sovereignty over it,” they continue to implement this plan on the ground in a gradual manner through a series of measures, foremost among them the demolition of Palestinian facilities, in addition to land confiscation and settlement expansion.
The Union for Justice pointed out that the occupation authorities seek, through demolitions, to confine and concentrate Palestinians into specific areas to facilitate control over them, and to create new spaces for settlement expansion and buffer zones separating settlements from Palestinian communities.
According to the monitoring of the Union for Justice Foundation, the occupation authorities carried out more than (55) demolition operations in various areas of the West Bank during January, resulting in the destruction of dozens of facilities, in addition to the continued destruction and blowing up of buildings in areas of Gaza that remain under occupation control, which constitute about 60% of the Strip’s area, despite the ceasefire entering its second phase.
Regarding the nature of the targeted facilities, the Foundation explained that most of them were inhabited Palestinian homes, ranging from a single room to multi-story buildings and residential villas, in addition to tin shelters for Bedouins, barracks, agricultural rooms, sheep pens, water wells, commercial shops, factories, and retaining walls.
Demolition of Parts of the UNRWA Compound in Jerusalem
As part of the occupation authorities’ targeting of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Israeli bulldozers demolished, on the twentieth of last month and with the participation of Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, several facilities inside the UNRWA compound in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem.
This step was described by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini as an open and deliberate challenge to international law and a disregard for the United Nations, noting that the demolished compound is a UN facility that enjoys immunity and may not be violated under international laws and agreements governing UN premises.
Israeli bulldozers also continued demolition operations in Nour Shams refugee camp east of Tulkarm, targeting a number of homes, as part of a plan announced by the occupation two months ago to demolish 25 buildings comprising more than 100 homes.
Settlers Also Demolish
According to the monitoring of the Union for Justice, demolition operations against Palestinian facilities are no longer limited to the official arms of the occupation authorities (the army and the Civil Administration), but have expanded to include settlers, who have also begun carrying out demolitions.
On the first of last month, settlers demolished two agricultural facilities (barracks) and stole their contents in the Khallat Awad area near Khirbet al-Tawil in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
Demolition of Homes and Residential Apartments
1/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished two villas east of Jericho, one inhabited by the family of citizen Hussein Jaber, and the other newly built and belonging to the Jerusalemite al-Ajlouni family. A demolition notice was also issued for another villa in the same area belonging to citizen Aziz Bassa.
8/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished two homes in the Upper Cooperation area west of Nablus, belonging to citizens Ashraf Khattab and Laith Nael al-Abed, on the pretext that they are located in Area “C”.
12/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished the home of citizen Hossam Qadah south of the town of Shuqba, west of Ramallah, consisting of one floor with an area of 120 square meters and housing six individuals, under the pretext of building without a permit.
13/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished the two-story home of citizen Sharif Fathi Ali Ahmad in the town of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit, noting that the family had been forced to evacuate the home several months earlier.
14/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a house under construction near Murad Tourist Resort in the town of Dar Salah east of Bethlehem, belonging to Jerusalemite citizen Mohammad Abu Tair, with an area of 200 square meters.
21/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a house under construction in the town of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit, belonging to young man Sami Samir Naji.
21/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished three homes in the town of Shuqba, west of Ramallah, belonging to citizens Khaled Abdullah Farah Qadah (two stories, 200 sqm, housing six individuals), his brother Farah (two stories, 380 sqm, housing 11 individuals), and Ibrahim Qadah (four stories, each floor about 300 sqm, housing nine individuals).
26/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished two residential rooms in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, with an area of 50 square meters, belonging to the family of Mahmoud al-Najjar and his son Mohammad, housing 11 individuals, and filled in two water wells in the village of al-Fakhit.
27/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished four homes in the town of Bartaa, northwest of Jenin, belonging to citizens Omar Abdul Aziz Qabha, Jamal Abdul Aziz Qabha, and Amjad Abdul Aziz Qabha, on the pretext that they are located in Area “C”.
28/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished two homes in the Ard al-Deir area west of al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, belonging to brothers Osama and Raed Mohammad Hassan Salah, each with an area of 200 square meters, under the pretext of building without a permit.
29/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a wooden shack in Khirbet Badr in the town of Battir, west of Bethlehem, belonging to citizen Ashraf Abu Mur, under the pretext of lack of licensing.
Demolition of Homes of Martyrs’ and Prisoners’ Families
14/1/2026: Occupation forces blew up the home of prisoner Ahmad Abu al-Rub in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin.
15/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished the home of the family of martyr Imran al-Atrash in the city of Hebron. The building consists of one inhabited floor and another under construction.
“Demolish Your Home Yourself”
In some cases, especially in Jerusalem, citizens are forced to demolish their own homes to avoid paying large fines imposed by the occupation authorities if their machinery carries out the demolition, causing severe psychological effects.
7/1/2026: Occupation authorities forced citizen Mohammad Saeed al-A’raj to demolish his apartment located on the second floor of a family building, with an area of 120 square meters, in the Ein Jweiza area of al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem, under the pretext of building without a permit.
26/1/2026: Occupation authorities forced citizen Jamal Ghaith to self-demolish his home in Wadi Yasoul neighborhood in Silwan, Jerusalem, under the pretext of lack of licensing.
31/1/2026: Occupation authorities forced citizen Mohammad Atiya al-Razam to demolish his home in Wadi Qaddum neighborhood in Silwan, Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a permit, noting that the house has existed for 26 years and has an area of about 160 square meters.
31/1/2026: Occupation authorities forced citizen Kamal Saeed Shawahneh from the town of Kafr Thulth, south of Qalqilya, to demolish a marble factory he owns east of the town, built on an area of approximately 300 square meters, causing material losses estimated at more than 80,000 shekels, under the pretext of building without a permit.
Demolition of Industrial and Commercial Facilities
7/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished an iron factory at the entrance of Anata east of Jerusalem, built at a cost estimated in the millions of shekels and serving as a source of livelihood for several families.
15/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a commercial facility under construction containing barracks belonging to citizen Fouad Zarina in the town of Janata east of Bethlehem.
26/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished shops and commercial facilities in the vicinity of Qalandiya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.
28/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a commercial facility (barrack) with an area of 400 square meters belonging to citizen Ahmad Salhab al-Tamimi in Wadi al-Mughayyir al-Harayiq neighborhood near Road 60 east of Hebron.
28/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a concrete wall in the village of Wadi al-Shajna in the town of Dura, southwest of Hebron.
29/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished the “Sheed” factory located at the western entrance of Sebastia town, northwest of Nablus, belonging to citizen Mohammad Izzat Azem.
Demolition of Agricultural and Livestock Facilities
7/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a residence of about 60 square meters and sheep pens in the southern area of Duma village, south of Nablus, belonging to citizen Khaled Abdul A’arara.
7/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a farm in the Wair al-Beik area of Anata town, east of Jerusalem, belonging to Jerusalemite citizen Eyas Dandis, under the pretext of building without a permit.
7/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a retaining wall 50 meters long to protect land in the “Bir Ouna” area of Beit Jala, west of Bethlehem.
8/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished an agricultural room in Khallat al-Furn in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, belonging to citizen Nahed al-Rajabi, and a retaining wall belonging to citizen Saeed Abu Hadid.
12/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers filled in two wells and demolished a water pool used for agricultural purposes in the Wadi al-Wahadin area of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.
20/1/2026: For the seventh time since 7 October 2023, occupation bulldozers demolished eight barracks and arbors used for housing and livestock breeding, in addition to destroying surrounding pens, in Khirbet al-Tawil on the lands of Aqraba, south of Nablus, under the pretext of building in Area “C”.
22/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished a house and a barrack inside a palm farm in the town of al-Duyuk al-Tahta, west of Jericho, under the pretext of lack of licensing.
26/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished an agricultural room in the landfill area belonging to citizen Khaled Mohammad Dhurwa in the village of al-Minya, southeast of Bethlehem.
26/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished several barracks and livestock pens belonging to members of the al-Hamadin family in Wadi al-Qarashiya in the village of Khushm al-Daraj in the Yatta desert, south of Hebron.
28/1/2026: Occupation bulldozers demolished agricultural facilities belonging to members of the Ghunaymat family in the town of Surif, northwest of Hebron, and uprooted more than 100 olive trees.
The Union for Justice Foundation affirms that all demolition operations carried out by the occupation authorities in Palestinian areas, whether in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, regardless of the pretext or justification, constitute grave violations and serious breaches of international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention.
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