Police demolish Beit Hanina compound used to house Palestinians without permits

The Israel Police demolished a portion of a compound in Beit Hanina, Jerusalem, following its discovery as a housing site for Palestinians from the West Bank without the required permits. This occurred three weeks after an initial operation where 155 West Bank Palestinians were apprehended by police, as reported by the police statement.

On Friday, a follow-up operation uncovered five more Palestinians at the compound, despite a closure order. These individuals were questioned and subsequently deported to areas of the West Bank before the demolished section was targeted. The compound's dismantling was carried out in collaboration with the Jerusalem Municipality.

Simultaneously, a Bedouin community in the West Bank was undergoing demolition as part of the E1 settlement plan near Jerusalem, according to Israeli NGOs Bimkom, Ir Amim, and Peace Now. These organizations highlighted that the demolition affected homes, kitchens, and sanitation facilities, displacing approximately 20 Bedouin residents.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented that 1,429 Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank were demolished by Israeli authorities in 2026, resulting in the displacement of 2,048 individuals. However, the OCHA report noted that the majority of these demolitions were due to the absence of Israeli-issued permits.