Israeli occupation forces invaded the village of Wad Rahhal, located south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, early Thursday morning, demolishing two homes and four agricultural rooms as part of ongoing efforts to forcibly displace Palestinian residents and tighten restrictions in areas designated as “Area C.”
According to Amar Hijazi, a member of the Wad Rahhal village council, large contingents of Israeli soldiers, accompanied by bulldozers and military vehicles, stormed the village and carried out widespread demolitions.
The destruction targeted two homes and four agricultural rooms used for storing equipment and farming materials.
Hijazi confirmed that military bulldozers also demolished two homes, each approximately 200 square meters in size. One belonged to Ahmad al-Badawi, while the other housed members of the Sa’ad family.
He added that the army did not allow the Palestinian to remove their furniture and belongings, and assaulted them.
Wad Rahhal is among several Palestinian communities facing systematic threats of land confiscation and settlement expansion due to its proximity to the illegal settlement of Efrat, established on land belonging to Bethlehem-area residents.
The village is regularly subjected to demolition and land-clearing violations aimed at erasing Palestinian presence.
Official statistics from the Wall & Colonization Resistance Commission reveal that, during the first half of this year alone, Israeli forces demolished 588 structures, directly affecting 843 individuals, including 411 children.
Additionally, 556 demolition orders were issued in the same period; 322 targeting inhabited homes, 18 uninhabited dwellings, 151 agricultural facilities, and 97 classified as sources of livelihood.
