Israel accelerates demolitions in southern West Bank

Israeli authorities have accelerated the demolition of Palestinian structures in the Hirbet Hamsa area near Hebron in the southern West Bank. The operations involve the use of military bulldozers to destroy homes, mobile dwellings, and agricultural facilities.

Local officials, including the mayors of El-Kum and El-Murak, state that these actions aim to create an illegal ‘settlement belt’ that would sever the connection between the western rural areas and the cities of Dura and Hebron. Authorities have issued notices claiming the targeted lands are ‘state land,’ despite residents possessing Ottoman-era title deeds and a 1985 Israeli court ruling confirming Palestinian ownership.

The Bedouin Rights Defense Organization (BEYDER) has warned that these policies directly target the housing and livelihoods of Palestinians, noting that construction permit requests for Palestinians are almost entirely rejected.