Demolitions and confiscations in communities facing expulsion

1 August 2023 Kh. a-Ras al-Ahmar

Israeli military digs trench, destroying farmland and dirt roads in the Ras al-Ahmar area in the northern Jordan Valley:

On Tuesday, 15 August 2023, at around 8:00 A.M., soldiers arrived in a military jeep and D9 bulldozer at the community of Ras al-Ahmar in the northern Jordan Valley and dug a 500-meter trench east of the community. The soldiers destroyed dozens of dunams (a dunam equals 1000 square meters) of farmland owned by the residents of the villages of Tubas and Tammun, as well as dirt roads that enabled travel between the communities in the area and farmland.

31 July 2023 Kh. Emneizal

Israel confiscates tractor in Khirbet Emneizal, South Hebron Hills

On Monday, 31 July 2023, in the afternoon, soldiers arrived at the village of Kh. Emneizal in the South Hebron Hills and confiscated a tractor used by a local resident to dig up land to lay water infrastructure on the northern side of the village. The soldiers ordered the driver to drive the tractor to a military base that was established some 300 meters east of the village.

26 July 2023 al-Hijrah

Israel pours concrete into well and destroys irrigation system in the Palestinian village of al-Hijrah, south of Hebron

On Wednesday morning, 26 July 2023, Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military and Border Police escort, a bulldozer and a cement mixer at the Palestinian village of al-Hijrah, south of Hebron. The forces poured concrete into four water wells and destroyed a roughly 20-meter-long pipe used to irrigate crops, damaging the crops themselves along the way.As they were working on destroying the pipe, the forces fired a sponge bullet at a Palestinian who approached the area, injuring him lightly in the back. He received treatment on site.

26 July 2023 Badu al-Mu’arrajat east (Mleihat)

Israel confiscates construction materials intended for building a fence around the school in the Palestinian community of al-Ka'abneh Badu a-Mu'arrajat in Jericho District

On Wednesday, 26 July 2023, at around 8:00 P.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and two crane trucks at the Badu al-Ka’abneh School in the community of al-Ka’abneh Badu a-Mu’arrajat, east of Jericho. The forces confiscated 16 pallets with about 1,500 blocks intended for building a 500-meter fence around the school. Two days earlier, on 24 July 2023, Civil Administration personnel arrived at the community and instructed the school administration to stop work on the construction of the fence.

20 July 2023 Kh. Yarza, Kh. Humsah al-Foqa

Israel confiscates three tractors and a car in two Palestinian communities in the northern Jordan Valley

On Thursday, 20 July 2023, at around 11:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel and a soldier arrived at Khirbet Yarza in the northern Jordan Valley and confiscated a tractor and a car belonging to the Abu Daher family, claiming they had been brought into Firing Zone 901. The two drove the vehicles to a military base near Khirbet Samrah. From there, the two went to Khirbet Humsah al-Foqa, confiscated two tractors belonging to the Abu al-Kabash family that were parked near the family home, claiming they had been brought into Firing Zone 903. The two ordered the family members to drive the tractors to a nearby military base.

17 July 2023 al-Muntar

Israel demolishes homes of three families, a house under construction and parts of three other houses in the community of al-Muntar, al-Quds District:

On Monday, 17 July 2023, at around 7:00 A.M., Israeli Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and bulldozer to the community of al-Muntar, al-Quds District, south-east of the town of al-‘Eizariyah. Israeli forces demolished the homes of three families, leaving 13 people homeless, including seven minors, damaging a livestock pen and vandalizing a water tank. In addition, the forces demolished a house under construction intended for a member of the community after his marriage and parts of three additional houses. In 2019, settlers established the “Tzon Kedar Farm” adjacent to the community.

16 July 2023 Widady a-Tahta

Widady a-Tahta (South Zanutah), South Hebron Hills: Another Palestinian community forcibly transferred

On Sunday, 16 July 2023, members of the Widady a -Tahta community were forced to abandon their place of residence in fear for their lives due to state-backed settler violence and other abuses carried out by the Israeli authorities. Residents of the community – who belong to the extended Abu ‘Awad family and number 20 people in total, including 12 minors – loaded all their belongings onto trucks and left the family’s compound, where they lived for 50 years. Khirbet Widady consisted of two communities until now, Khirbet Widady a-Tahta and Khirbet Widaday a-Foqa, where five families numbering 22 people in total, including 13 minors, remain. These communities – like all the communities Israel is working to expel – have never been connected to the water and electricity grids. They have relied on water stored in cisterns and, in recent years, acquired solar panels that provide limited electricity. Approximately two years ago, Israeli settlers built an outpost roughly 500 meters away from the Abu-‘Awad family homes in Widady a-Tahta, and ever since – with the help of Israeli soldiers – have tried to prevent them from grazing their flock in the pasturelands surrounding their homes, by way of – among other things – flying drones that scare the sheep and disperse them. At the end of 2022, B’Tselem documented two settler attacks on the family’s homes (24 December 2022; 31 December 2022). In March 2023, B’Tselem documented two more attacks, one in the presence of an Israeli soldier (4 March 2023; 11 March 2023). Additionally, about a year ago, the Civil Administration issued demolition orders for all structures in the compound, which consist of three homes and one livestock enclosure. On Tuesday, 27 June 2023, at approximately 4:00 P.M., two Israeli settlers arrived at the community and threatened Salah Abu ‘Awad (27) with handguns while he was grazing his flock near his home. Abu ‘Awad fled, leaving the flock behind, and watched from a distance as the settlers led his sheep toward Route 60. He called other family members for help, and when the settlers saw them, they left the flock and went toward their outpost. The family brought the flock back to their community. When Abu ‘Awad reported the incident to the police, the officers claimed they could not assist him because the community was living on leased land that did not belong to its residents. Immediately following the incident and in the wake of the police’s response, the Abu ‘Awad family decided that remaining at the site put their lives at risk and began preparations to leave. Read more...

12 July 2023 Kh. Wadi Tiran

Israel razes agricultural road, Khirbet a-Tiran community, south of the town of a-Dhahiriyah, South Hebron Hills

On Wednesday, 12 July 2023, Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a digger at the community of Khirbet a-Tiran, south of the town of a-Dhahiriyah. The forces razed a roughly one-kilometer dirt road connecting the community to its agricultural lands. The community is home to three families whose homes are not connected to the water or power grids.