Israeli police demolish family farm in Gush Etzion and arrest seven protesters

Dozens of Israeli border police, accompanied by civil‑administration inspectors and heavy equipment, carried out a raid on the Kochav Yehuda farm in the Gush Etzion bloc, located between the settlements of Efrat and Tekoa. The operation involved the demolition of the family’s house, a shed and a water tank that supplied drinking water to the site.

Residents say Arab workers hired by the civil administration were brought in, and that they damaged tools and building materials on site. According to the residents, a civil‑administration officer ordered the demolition without allowing the family to remove personal belongings, which were allegedly smashed and buried under the rubble. Clashes erupted as residents protested; a police officer was reported to have pointed his weapon at demonstrators, and other officers attempted to prevent filming of the incident. After the police withdrew, seven inhabitants were arrested for taking part in the protest.

The incident joins a series of recent demolitions and evictions in the West Bank, prompting sharp criticism from settlers and activists who view the action as a targeted enforcement measure against the settlement community.