JENIN, September 8, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli forces demolished two structures on Tuesday morning in the town of Sila al-Dhahr, south of Jenin.
Sila al-Dhahr Mayor Mundhir Hantouli told WAFA that Israeli forces raided the area and demolished a 200-square-meter structure belonging to resident Yousef Joudeh Othman Mousa, which was used to raise sheep.
The forces also demolished a structure belonging to Khalil Ibrahim Hantouli that was used to store and collect scrap metal and iron. Hantouli noted that owners of several structures along the bypass road had submitted permit applications through a legal center, but their applications were rejected and they were subsequently informed that licensing procedures would be handled individually.
He explained that the demolitions followed the issuance of 14 stop-work notices targeting 12 homes and three structures in the area adjacent to the bypass road. All of the targeted properties are located in Area C, under the pretext of lacking permits from the Israeli authorities.
Hantouli warned that the continued measures raise serious concerns over possible large-scale demolitions in populated areas, particularly amid ongoing works to open and expand the bypass road through the town’s lands toward the settlements of Homesh and Tersela.
He called on human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene urgently to protect residents and their property and to halt the demolitions and stop-work orders threatening dozens of families and structures in the town.
Hantouli also pointed to confusion and uncertainty among residents due to the lack of clear information about the measures Israeli forces intend to carry out in the area, amid fears that the current demolitions could pave the way for broader measures in the coming period.
In December, Israeli authorities issued a military order to seize 513 dunams of land belonging to the towns of Sila al-Dhahr, al-Atara, Jaba, al-Fandaqumiya and Burqa between the Jenin and Nablus governorates, citing “military purposes.” The order is part of a plan to establish a settler security road linking the settlements of Homesh and Tersela, both built on privately owned Palestinian land in the northern West Bank.
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