1,787 demolition operations occurred in West Bank since start of genocide war on Gaza
OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Oct. 17 (YPA) – UN statistics reported growing in the Israeli demolition policy of Palestinian buildings and facilities in the occupied West Bank since the start of the genocide war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented the demolition of 1,787 Palestinian facilities between October 7, 2023, and October 15, 2024, including 800 inhabited homes. The demolition operations led to the displacement of 4,498 Palestinians, in addition to the damage to about 531,593 others as a result of the demolition of their homes or commercial, industrial, and agricultural facilities.
The cities of Jenin and Tulkarm topped the West Bank governorates in terms of the number of displaced people as a result of the ongoing incursions, demolitions, and bulldozing operations. The displacement of 1,846 citizens was recorded in the city of Tulkarm and its two camps, as a result of the demolition of 313 inhabited homes, and 974 citizens in the city of Jenin and its camp, as a result of the demolition of 147 inhabited homes.
Regarding the details of the demolition, OCHA data indicate that 1,191 facilities were demolished under the pretext of construction “without permits” from the occupation authorities, 537 facilities were demolished during military operations, and 43 homes and facilities were demolished as part of the collective punishment policy, which often means demolishing the homes of relatives of those who carried out operations against the occupation.
The scale of the escalation in demolitions becomes clear by going back to a previous corresponding period. The period between October 7, 2022, and October 15, 2023 witnessed the demolition of 1,020 facilities, the displacement of 1,396 Palestinians, and the damage of another 72,917 Palestinians, according to the same source.
According to data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics published in early October, 81% of families in the West Bank live in homes owned by a family member residing there. The percentage of families who live in rented housing in the West Bank is estimated at about 8%, while less than 1% of families live in other housing, such as a separate room or a tent.
YPA