Hebron: The Israeli army demolished a Palestinian home and issued a demolition order for a school in the West Bank on Wednesday, as troops detained over 20 Palestinians in military raids across the occupied territory.
According to Anadolu Agency, an Israeli force raided the town of Idhna in Hebron in the southern West Bank, demolishing a home for allegedly lacking a building permit. Hamza al-Batran, a cousin of the homeowner, reported that the house was constructed about 12 years ago, and its owner was finalizing preparations for habitation. Additionally, Israeli authorities issued a demolition notice for a Palestinian school in Hebron province, mandating action within 14 days.
The Palestinian Education Ministry expressed concerns, stating that the demolition notice against Al-Rifaiya Challenge Basic School 1 represents a significant threat to the education sector. The ministry highlighted that demolishing the school would deprive students of educational, recreational, and psychosocial support activities typically held during the summer break. Jibril Dababseh, public relations director at the Education Directorate in Yatta, informed that the school, established in 2016, serves about 200 students and is located south of the village of Al-Deirat.
Dababseh noted that approximately 10 additional schools are at risk of receiving demolition notices, potentially impacting the education of about 1,000 students. Palestinian and Israeli rights groups assert that Israeli authorities enforce strict regulations that hinder Palestinians from obtaining building permits in the West Bank, particularly in Area C.
Under the Oslo II Accord, signed in 1995, the occupied West Bank is divided into three areas. Area A is under full Palestinian control, Area B is under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control, while Area C, comprising about 60% of the West Bank, is under full Israeli control. Home demolitions are considered contrary to international humanitarian law, as the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 prohibits the destruction of civilian property unless absolutely necessary for military reasons.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army conducted military raids across the occupied West Bank, arresting more than 20 Palestinians, including a young man shot near Bethlehem. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its teams treated a young man shot in the thigh at a military checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Paramedics provided first aid, but Israeli soldiers forced them to move the wounded man to the checkpoint before arresting him from inside an ambulance.
The Prisoners' Media Office reported that Israeli forces arrested about 20 Palestinians in various cities across the West Bank. The region has experienced escalating attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers since October 2023, resulting in 1,179 Palestinian deaths, 12,666 injuries, and approximately 24,000 arrests, according to official figures.