Occupation announces demolition of Palestinian buildings in northern West Bank under pretext of unlicensed construction
Israeli occupation authorities announced the demolition of Palestinian buildings in the northern West Bank under the pretext of unlicensed construction, following a shooting incident near Nablus. The campaign targeted industrial and residential buildings near Junction 9 and Route 60, on orders from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The Hebrew Channel 7 website reported that Israeli occupation authorities carried out a demolition campaign targeting Palestinian buildings in the northern West Bank, claiming they were illegal, following a shooting incident near the village of Tel, southwest of Nablus. According to the site, the Civil Administration's monitoring unit conducted the demolition, which included buildings described by the occupation as strategic, on direct orders from Finance Minister and Minister in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, who ordered intensified demolitions in the wake of what he described as harsh operations in the area. The campaign targeted buildings near Junction 9 and along Route 60, where a four-story industrial and residential building of approximately 800 square meters was demolished, along with another industrial building of about 450 square meters. This campaign comes amid escalating occupation measures aimed at demolishing Palestinian structures in the West Bank under the pretext of unlicensed construction, while Palestinian and international institutions assert that occupation authorities impose severe restrictions on issuing building permits for Palestinians, in contrast to the ongoing expansion of settlements. Recent months have seen an increase in demolition orders and their execution, especially in the Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, and Jordan Valley districts.