Islam Times - Israeli Army Demolishes Palestinian Home in West Bank amid Ongoing Raids

Islam Times - The Israeli army demolished a Palestinian home near the city of Salfit in the northern occupied West Bank on Tuesday, citing the absence of a construction permit, a reason frequently used by Israeli authorities to justify such criminal actions.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that Israeli forces raided the village of Kafr al-Dik in the Salfit Governorate before proceeding with the demolition.

According to the official Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli forces demolished 126 Palestinian structures across the West Bank last month, including 74 inhabited homes and 29 agricultural facilities.

Israel frequently invokes the lack of building permits to justify demolitions, particularly in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which accounts for approximately 60% of the territory. Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Al-Quds, was divided into Areas A, B, and C. Area C remains under full Israeli administrative and security control pending a final-status agreement with the Palestinians.

The demolition comes amid an ongoing Israeli military offensive in the northern West Bank, where dozens of Palestinian homes have been destroyed, displacing hundreds of residents.

On Jan. 21, Israeli forces launched an assault on Jenin city and its refugee camp, killing at least 26 Palestinians. The operation later expanded to Tulkarem, where at least three Palestinians were killed.

The escalation in the West Bank follows a temporary ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza that took effect on Jan. 19. The truce came after 15 months of Israeli military onslaught in Gaza, which have killed more than 47,500 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

Since the start of Israeli genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, over 900 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers.