Occupation Demolishes an Occupied House in the Village of Walaja West of Bethlehem

SadaNews - Israeli occupation forces demolished a occupied house today, Monday, in the village of Walaja, west of Bethlehem.

The head of the Walaja village council, Khader Al-Araj, reported that the occupation forces, with military reinforcements, invaded the village and stationed themselves in the Ein Jouiza area before commencing the demolition of a house belonging to the Abu Rizq family, which has an area of about 80 square meters and houses several family members.

Al-Araj explained that the demolition process was carried out under the pretext of lack of permits, despite the fact that the family had submitted requests for permits years ago, but the occupation authorities have procrastinated in granting them, as part of a systematic policy targeting the residents of Walaja to control their lands and push them to relocate.

It is worth noting that the Ein Jouiza area has been subjected to an escalating colonial campaign for years, which has included the demolition of dozens of homes and notices to stop construction, as part of the occupation's efforts to expand the boundaries of Jerusalem municipality at the expense of citizens' lands in the village.

Since October 7, 2023, until October 5, 2025, the occupation authorities have carried out a total of 1,014 demolition operations in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, affecting 3,679 structures, including 1,288 occupied houses, 244 unoccupied houses, and 962 agricultural facilities among others.

During the same period, the occupation authorities also delivered 1,667 demolition notices for Palestinian structures.