BETHLEHEM, March 20, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces demolished a home and an agricultural room today in the village of Al-Walajah, located northwest of Bethlehem, according to local sources.
Ibrahim Awadallah, Coordinator of the Al-Walajah Protection Committee, informed WAFA that the Israeli forces raided the village, where they proceeded to demolish a 50-square-meter residential home belonging to Taha Awadallah, a local Palestinian citizen, as well as an agricultural room belonging to his brother Ahmad. The occupation authorities carried out the demolition under the pretext of lacking building permits.
Awadallah further stated that the Israeli forces sealed off the area, preventing local residents from accessing the demolition site. They also fired tear gas and stun grenades and physically assaulted a young man during the incident.
According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli authorities issued 903 demolition orders for Palestinian structures in 2024, claiming they lacked permits.
The majority of these orders were distributed across the West Bank, with 180 orders in Hebron, 140 in Jericho and the Jordan Valley, and 126 in Bethlehem. These also included 20 demolition orders targeting the eastern rural areas of Bethlehem.
The commission noted that in 2024, Israel carried out 684 demolitions, impacting a total of 903 Palestinian structures in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. As a result, 4,332 people were displaced, including 2,320 children.
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