Early Monday morning, Israeli military bulldozers began demolishing a seven-story, under-construction Palestinian residential building in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank’s southern region.
Media activist Mohammad Awad reported that the military bulldozers demolished the building, which spans 210 square meters per floor and belongs to Mohammad Issa Hussein Alqam.
Awad added that the structure is in the Wadi Al-Wahadin area, south of Beit Ummar, directly across from the illegal “Karmei Tzur” colony, which was built on illegal confiscated Palestinian land.
He explained that occupation authorities issued a demolition order for the building two months ago, granting the owner a 60-day compliance period. However, the demolition was executed before the deadline expired.
Awad further noted that ten additional homes in the same area are at risk of demolition due to their proximity to “Karmei Tzur.”
The Wall & Colonization Settlement Resistance Commission has condemned the Israeli occupation’s ongoing policy of demolishing Palestinian homes, describing it as a calculated effort to restrict Palestinian construction and natural population growth in villages and towns.
The commission added that these demolitions, justified under the pretext of lacking construction permits, aim to displace Palestinians and confine them to isolated enclaves.
Notably, in March, Israeli occupation forces carried out 58 demolition operations targeting 87 structures. These included 39 inhabited homes, six uninhabited homes, 26 agricultural facilities, and various other buildings.
During the same period, demolition notices were issued for 46 Palestinian structures, with the highest concentration in Tulkarem (20 notices), followed by Jenin (8 notices), Bethlehem (6 notices), and Hebron (6 notices).
While Israel continues to build and expand its illegal colonies, Palestinian communities and towns in occupied Jerusalem and various areas in the occupied West Bank continue to be denied the right to build homes and property under various allegations meant to prevent the expansion of Palestinian towns and neighborhoods.
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, in addition to various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory.”
