Israeli occupation forces launched a large-scale demolition campaign across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, destroying eight Palestinian homes and two agricultural structures in the cities of Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Nablus.

The wave of demolitions has displaced several families and deepened the humanitarian crisis gripping Palestinian communities under Israeli occupation.

In the town of Shuqba, northwest of Ramallah, four homes and two barns were bulldozed in the eastern part of the village.

Adnan Shalash, head of the local village council, reported that the recent demolitions targeted multiple family properties, including a 180-square-meter home belonging to Salameh al-Masri, which housed three residents, a two-story house owned by his sons, Motaz and Hani, with each floor measuring 150 square meters, two agricultural barns along with surrounding boundary walls, a 200-square-meter home owned by Ziyad Zayed Hassan, and a three-apartment building that was home to six people.

Shalash noted that occupation soldiers emptied the homes by force, vandalized furniture and household items, and then leveled the buildings, leaving families homeless and traumatized.

Further north in the town of Rujeib, east of Nablus, Israeli forces demolished a two-story residence belonging to Khaled al-Saksak after ordering the evacuation of his family. Eyewitnesses reported that the soldiers stormed the area in the early morning hours, preventing neighbors from intervening.

No demolitions were officially reported in Jerusalem as of the time of this report, though residents expressed concern that similar operations were imminent.

According to Palestinian and international human rights organizations, the latest demolitions are part of a widening policy of collective punishment and land confiscation aimed at expanding Israeli settlements and displacing native Palestinian populations.

In the first half of 2025, data reveals a significant escalation in demolition activity, with 588 Palestinian structures razed, directly affecting at least 843 Palestinians, including 411 children. Additionally, 556 demolition orders have been issued, targeting homes, agricultural buildings, and critical sources of livelihood, further threatening Palestinian communities.

Rights groups have condemned these demolitions as violations of international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the destruction of civilian property in occupied territories unless absolutely necessary for military operations.

The demolitions come amid mounting international concern over the humanitarian situation in the West Bank, where Palestinians face increasing displacement, settler violence, and systematic restrictions on construction, agriculture, and daily life.

Local officials and humanitarian organizations have called for immediate international intervention to halt the demolitions and hold Israel accountable for what they describe as a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing.

“This is not law enforcement — it’s forced displacement,” said a spokesperson for a Ramallah-based human rights group. “Entire families, including children, are being thrown into the streets without warning or recourse.”

The Palestinian Authority has yet to release an official statement, though pressure is building for diplomatic and legal action at the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.

As the bulldozers leave behind flattened homes and broken lives, the residents of Shuqba, Rujeib, and dozens of other towns across the West Bank face the agonizing task of rebuilding — both physically and emotionally — amid an ever-intensifying occupation. (ILKHA)