‘Israel’ demolishes 24 homes in Hebron, displacing 180 Palestinians

• The demolitions also destroyed agricultural structures, solar panels and water infrastructure, further disrupting residents’ livelihoods and access to basic services.
• The operation was the third large-scale demolition campaign in Masafer Yatta in three weeks.

‘Israeli’ forces demolished 24 Palestinian homes and other structures in the village of Jinba in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, on Wednesday, leaving around 180 Palestinians, including approximately 85 children, without homes.

The demolitions were carried out using heavy machinery and were accompanied by ‘Israeli’ forces. According to B’Tselem, the operation also destroyed 16 agricultural structures, 16 solar panels and 14 water tanks. 

Other reports said livestock facilities and other agricultural infrastructure were also demolished.

Masafer Yatta, a rural area in the southern West Bank, is home to Palestinian communities that have faced repeated demolitions and displacement. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said earlier this month that two waves of demolitions in the area between Sep. 2 and 8 destroyed 49 structures and displaced 57 people, including 27 children.

The Jinba operation followed the near-demolition of the neighboring hamlet of Khirbet al-Tabban on Sep. 2, when ‘Israeli’ authorities demolished all 12 homes and most other structures there, displacing about 70 people. 

On Sep. 8, five homes belonging to four families were demolished in Khirbet al-Fakhit, along with animal shelters, water tanks, solar panels and other infrastructure.

The repeated demolitions have intensified concerns over the future of Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta, where residents have lived for decades amid restrictions on construction and the threat of displacement.

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