“Israel” Demolishes Palestinian Homes in Al-Quds as Ben-Gvir Oversees Operation

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” occupation authorities demolished a five-story Palestinian residential building in the al-Tur neighborhood of occupied Al-Quds on Tuesday, forcibly displacing the Palestinian families who lived there.

Several “Israeli” military vehicles entered the area and surrounded the building as far-right “Israeli” “National Security” Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participated in the demolition operation.

Palestinian sources said the building contained 10 apartments and was home to 10 Palestinian families. They said the residents had received a final demolition order on Monday after years of notices, heavy fines and financial penalties. The authorities had also repeatedly refused to grant the families construction permits despite their efforts to obtain them.

The demolition forms part of what Palestinian authorities describe as an escalating “Israeli” policy of demolishing Palestinian homes and structures across occupied Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”]. Palestinian officials say the policy is intended to place greater pressure on the city’s indigenous Palestinian population and facilitate their forced displacement.

According to local data, “Israeli” occupation authorities carried out about 139 demolition and land-clearing operations across Al-Quds Governorate between July and September 2026. During the same period, around 150 demolition, eviction and so-called “property-seizure” notices and decisions were issued.

The Al-Quds Governorate condemned Tuesday’s demolition, describing the destruction of the building and displacement of its residents as a serious escalation of a broader policy aimed at forcibly altering the city’s demographic character.

The governorate rejected “Israeli” claims that the demolitions are justified by a lack of building permits, arguing that Palestinian residents are systematically denied meaningful access to planning and construction permits while settlement expansion continues.

It stressed that occupied Al-Quds remains part of the occupied Palestinian territory and said demolition and “property-seizure” measures carried out by the occupation authorities are legally invalid and cannot create legitimate rights.

The governorate called for stronger international action to compel “Israel” to comply with international resolutions and humanitarian law, warning that continued demolitions threaten the longstanding Palestinian presence in Al-Quds.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented the demolition of approximately 170 Palestinian structures in eastern occupied al-Quds since the beginning of 2026, with “Israeli” authorities citing the absence of building permits.

The UN office has described obtaining such permits as effectively “impossible” for Palestinians and warned that continued demolitions and forced displacement could further undermine the Palestinian presence and alter the demographic composition of the city.