RAMALLAH, (PIC)
A UN report indicated a rise in Israeli demolition policies targeting Palestinian buildings and facilities in the occupied West Bank since the onset of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented that Israeli occupation authorities demolished 1,787 Palestinian facilities between October 7, 2023, and October 15, 2024, including 800 inhabited homes.
The demolitions led to the displacement of 4,498 Palestinians, in addition to affecting approximately 531,593 others due to the destruction of their homes or commercial, industrial, and agricultural facilities. The cities of Jenin and Tulkarem topped the West Bank in terms of the number of displaced individuals due to ongoing incursions, demolitions, and land leveling. In Tulkarem city and its camps, 1,846 citizens were displaced as a result of the demolition of 313 inhabited homes, while in Jenin city and its camp, 974 citizens were displaced due to the demolition of 147 inhabited homes.
Regarding the details of the demolitions, OCHA data indicate that 1,191 facilities were demolished under the pretext of unauthorized construction by the occupation authorities, 537 facilities were demolished during military operations, and 43 homes and facilities were destroyed as part of a collective punishment policy, often targeting the homes of the families of those who carried out operations against the occupation.
The scale of the increase in demolitions is evident when comparing it to a previous period. Between October 7, 2022, and October 15, 2023, there were 1,020 demolitions, resulting in the displacement of 1,396 Palestinians and affecting 72,917 others, according to the same source.
According to data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics published at the beginning of October, 81% of families in the West Bank live in homes owned by a family member residing in them, while the percentage of families living in rented homes in the West Bank is estimated at about 8%. Less than 1% of families live in other types of housing, such as independent rooms or tents.
