Israel's policy of demolishing Palestinian homes and structures in occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank is a long-standing practice that is increasingly getting worse.
Israeli authorities primarily justify these actions as enforcement against "illegal construction" due to lack of permits, with fewer demolitions carried out as punishment for security incidents.
Critics, including Israeli human rights groups like B'Tselem, describe it as a tool to restrict Palestinian development, facilitate illegal settlement expansion, and alter demographics in occupied areas.
According to data from the official Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli forces carried out 37 demolition operations in April, targeting 78 structures, including inhabited homes and agricultural facilities, and issued dozens of demolition notices.
The occupied West Bank has seen a sustained escalation since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, including killings, arrests, demolitions and settlement expansion.
The escalation has resulted in the deaths of at least 1,155 Palestinians, the wounding of about 11,750 others, and the arrest of nearly 22,000 people, according to official Palestinian data.
In the first six weeks of 2026, Israeli authorities demolished around 312 Palestinian residential and agricultural structures in the occupied West Bank, affecting about 21,000 Palestinians, according to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), cited by Palestinian rights group Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights. This marked a notable early-year escalation.
By April, reports indicated that 137 Palestinian homes had been demolished in the occupied West Bank since the start of the year, including 49 in east Jerusalem, as per the Palestine Information Center.
In East Jerusalem, OCHA data showed 98 structures demolished up to late April, displacing over 230 people, including 100 children, compared to 63 structures in the same period of 2025. Many were so-called self-demolitions, where Palestinians were forced to tear down their own homes in fear of costs or fines.
Specific flashpoints include repeated actions in Silwan's al-Bustan neighbourhood, Hebron area communities like Masafer Yatta, and Area C of the occupied West Bank.
What is self-demolition?
In recent years, “self-demolition” has become increasingly common in East Jerusalem, with Palestinians forced to demolish their homes to avoid paying high fines if Israeli authorities carry out the demolition themselves.
Residents are often given the choice by the municipality between demolishing their homes on their own or paying the cost of Israeli crews carrying out the demolition.
Palestinian, Israeli and international rights groups say Israeli authorities impose strict limitations on Palestinian construction in East Jerusalem while expanding illegal settlement building in the occupied city.
Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their state, while Israel considers the city — both east and west — its capital.
In the latest home demolitions in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned home in occupied East Jerusalem and a structure used for livestock in Ramallah, officials and local sources said on Tuesday.
The governorate said Israeli forces cited the “lack of a building permit” for the demolitions.
Is the level unprecedented?
Recent years show record or near-record levels, especially for administrative demolitions over building permits.
2025 was a peak year. B'Tselem documented that at least 1,267 structures were demolished in the occupied West Bank on the pretext of illegal construction, the highest since they began tracking in 2006. OCHA/Peace Now figures cite 1,269 Palestinian structures in Area C alone, up 21 percent from the previous record in 2024.
Punitive demolitions also hit high numbers, matching 2023 records in parts of 2025, as per the Norwegian Refugee Council. These demolitions involve destroying or sealing the homes of Palestinians accused of attacks against Israelis. The practice punishes entire families and constitutes collective punishment, prohibited under international law.
Earlier years (pre-2023) saw hundreds of demolitions annually, but the post-October 7 2023 period brought a sustained surge amid broader security operations, illegal settlement growth and reduced international scrutiny.
The pace has remained elevated in 2026, with hundreds displaced monthly in the early months due to demolitions and illegal settler attacks, which drove a large share of the displacement, according to OCHA.
