A day of destruction in the West Bank: 22 people, including 15 children, lost their home in a single day

On Tuesday, 23 November 2021, Israel embarked on a large-scale demolition campaign throughout the West Bank, in which it destroyed and confiscated dwellings, tents, livestock enclosures, buildings under construction, a road, and even a structure intended for burial. Twenty-two people, including 15 children, lost their homes in one day.

Some of the demolitions were captured on video:

Filmed by: Nasser Nawaj'ah, Hamdan Hamdan, 'Eid Hazalin, 'Amer 'Aruri

Jerusalem Area:

Israel demolishes three homes of six people, including three minors

At around 6:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel and Border Police officers arrived at the neighborhood of Wadi al-Humos, an eastern extension of Zur Baher in East Jerusalem. The forces bulldozed three buildings: a two-story building that was home to a family of five, including three minors, and a building that was home to one person. From there, the forces moved to the other side of the Separation Barrier and demolished a four-story building under construction that included three apartments.

At around 6:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel and Border Police officers arrived at the neighborhood of Wadi al-Humos, an eastern extension of Zur Baher in East Jerusalem. The forces bulldozed three buildings: a two-story building that was home to a family of five, including three minors, and a building that was home to one person. From there, the forces moved to the other side of the Separation Barrier and demolished a four-story building under construction that included three apartments.

 

South Hebron Hills:

Israel demolishes home under construction and burial infrastructure

At around 10:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military and Border Police escort to the village of Khirbet Ma’in in the South Hebron Hills. The forces bulldozed a house under construction that was home to a family of eight, including six minors. 

At around 1:00 P.M., the forces arrived at the village of a-Deirat, east of Yatta, and demolished a seven-room concrete structure intended for burial.

THE DEMOLITION OF THE HOUSE IN KHIRBET MA'IN. PHOTO BY NASSER NAWAJ'AH, B'TSELEM, 23 NOV. 2021

Ramallah Area:

Israel demolishes residential tent and confiscates agricultural structures

CONFISCATION OF AGRICULTURAL STRUCTURES IN RAS A-TIN. PHOTO BY IYAD HADDAD, B'TSELEM, 23 NOV. 2021

Later that day, Civil Administration personnel came with a military escort to the community of Ras a-Tin, east of Ramallah, and dismantled and confiscated three tents that served as livestock enclosures. From there, they continued to ‘Ein Samia where, at around 2:30 P.M., they demolished a residential tent that was home a family of eight, including six minors. They also dismantled and confiscated two livestock enclosures.

ONE OF THE STRUCTURES DESTROYED BY THE CIVIL ADMINISTRATION IN WADI AL-HUMOS. PHOTO BY 'AMER 'ARURI, B'TSELEM, 23 NOV. 2021

Nablus Area:

Israel razes section of agricultural road recently renovated in ‘Asirah al-Shamaliyah

At around 11:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel came with a military escort to an existing agricultural road that the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture and the ‘Asirah al-Shamaliyah Municipality began paving with asphalt about two months ago. The forces razed a 500-meter-long section of the road and placed seven dirt mounds at the entrance to the road from Nablus to prevent its use. The road is used by the residents of ‘Asirah al-Shamaliyah to reach their farmland and also connects the town to Nablus.

 

A BLOCKAGE ERECTED BY THE CIVIL ADMINISTRATION ON THE AGRICULTURAL ROAD. PHOTO COURTESY OF ‘ASIRAH AL-SHAMALIYAH MUNICIPALITY

The wave of demolitions expresses the perception of the Israeli regime, which holds that land is a resource intended primarily to serve the Jewish population. This regime uses a variety of administrative, planning and bureaucratic tools to implement this concept. Governments come and go, but the apartheid regime remains untouched.