Israeli occupation forces demolished an industrial workshop on Thursday in the Qaber Hilwa area near the town of Dar Salah, east of Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank, in the latest escalation targeting Palestinian property and livelihoods in the district.
Soldiers accompanied by heavy machinery invaded the area at dawn, surrounded the site, and demolished a metal workshop belonging to the Dabash family, claiming it lacked an Israeli‑issued permit.
Local sources said the army blocked movement in the surrounding area during the demolition and prevented residents from approaching.
The workshop had operated for years, provided income for several families, and its destruction caused significant financial losses.
Residents stated that the army had previously issued stop‑work orders to several structures in Qaber Hilwa as part of a broader campaign to restrict Palestinian construction east of Bethlehem.
In recent weeks, Israeli forces have intensified demolitions and property seizures in the Qaber Hilwa area, targeting industrial facilities, agricultural structures, and homes, while issuing new military orders to halt construction.
In the Al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, the soldiers confiscated a bulldozer owned by a local man, Mohammad Morad Al-Mahsiry.
Local councils and residents say the pattern reflects a deliberate effort to pressure Palestinian communities, limit expansion, and tighten Israeli control over the corridor linking Bethlehem to the Dead Sea.
This demolition comes amid a wider escalation across the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces continue to carry out invasions, home demolitions, and land seizures under the pretext of lacking permits, despite the systematic denial of such permits to Palestinians.
