Israeli forces have carried out raids across the occupied West Bank, demolishing a multi-storey residential building in East Jerusalem, an action Palestinian officials say is aimed at forcibly displacing residents.
Israeli soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas on Monday as bulldozers demolished a four-storey residential building in East Jerusalem.
The operation took place in the Wadi Qaddum neighbourhood of Silwan, south of Jerusalem’s Old City, where 13 apartments were destroyed, displacing dozens of Palestinians.
According to Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents, Israeli forces sealed off surrounding roads and deployed heavily across the area.
Security personnel were positioned on rooftops of neighbouring homes, while a young man and a teenage boy were arrested during the demolition.
Permit justification
Residents were informed that the building was demolished due to the lack of an Israeli-issued building permit.
Palestinian officials and activists argue that Israel’s restrictive planning policies make it nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain permits, describing the system as a tool of displacement.
The Jerusalem governorate, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, strongly condemned the demolition.
In a statement, it said the action was part of a systematic policy aimed at emptying Jerusalem of its Palestinian population and replacing residents with settlers.
Human rights groups raise alarm
Israeli human rights organisations Ir Amim and Bimkom said the demolition was carried out without warning.
They noted that a meeting had been scheduled the same day to discuss legalising the building, adding that around 100 East Jerusalem families have lost their homes in 2025 alone, making this the largest demolition of the year.
The demolition comes as Israel’s security cabinet recently approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the West Bank.
This brings the total number of settlements approved this year to 69, further accelerating settlement expansion in occupied territory.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces damaged agricultural land and uprooted trees in the northern town of Silat al-Harithiya.
In Halhul, north of Hebron, troops stormed several neighbourhoods with military vehicles, deployed sniper teams, and closed key checkpoints linking the city to Hebron.
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, violence in the West Bank has sharply escalated.
According to Palestinian figures, more than 1,102 Palestinians have been killed, around 11,000 wounded, and over 21,000 arrested across the territory.
