Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has reached unprecedented levels in 2025, surpassing all previous years since the 1967 occupation began.
Israeli authorities have destroyed 783 structures, displacing 1,119 people, according to United Nations data, with an additional 900 structures razed in refugee camps like Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams during military raids.
Families like Mutawakil al-Mohamad’s in East Jerusalem face abrupt evictions, with soldiers declaring homes “military zones” and bulldozing them without warning.
Human rights groups argue Israel’s systematic demolitions aim to make life unbearable, pushing Palestinians to leave.
Murad Jadallah, a researcher with Al-Haq, stated, “Israel’s goal in the West Bank is the same as its goal in Gaza. … It wants to target all Palestinians.”
The scale of destruction, coupled with Israel’s war in Gaza, suggests a broader strategy to displace Palestinians while global attention remains diverted.
Israeli settlers, emboldened by political support from figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have escalated attacks on Palestinian villages.
In Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, settlers have released livestock into Palestinian villages like Shaab al-Batm and Khirbet al-Qawawis, damaging property and intimidating residents.
The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported 1,821 attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in July alone, including 300 in Hebron, involving armed assaults, vandalism, and land seizures.
Since October 7, 2023, over 48,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, with settlers establishing outposts on confiscated land.
The United Nations recorded 740 settler attacks this year, part of a campaign to uproot Palestinian communities, particularly in areas like Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah.
Israel’s legal maneuvers, such as new orders granting the army authority to demolish homes in Area B, further erode Palestinian control under the Oslo Accords.
Displaced families face severe hardships, with many unable to afford alternative housing.
Ahmed Gaeem’s family, evicted from Tulkarem, now rents three homes in Iktaba village for $1,300 monthly, a crippling expense given his unpaid $500 monthly salary as a Palestinian Authority civil servant.
Israel’s withholding of tax revenue, mandated by the Oslo Accords, has deepened the PA’s economic crisis, leaving families like Gaeem’s with little support.
Many displaced Palestinians crowd into relatives’ homes or makeshift shelters, with destroyed homes — like Gaeem’s, with shattered windows and caved-in walls — offering no hope of return.
Israel’s denial of building permits and expansion of illegal settlements in Area C, which comprises 60 percent of the West Bank, further confines Palestinians to shrinking urban pockets.
Tahani Mustafa of the International Crisis Group warned that Israel’s actions, including increased checkpoints and raids, aim to make life unlivable, potentially targeting West Bank cities next.
Palestinians like al-Mohamad remain defiant, vowing to stay on their land despite fears of further evictions.