Israel demolished 588 Palestinian structures in first half of this year, according to Palestinian figures
Israeli forces killed a young Palestinian man during a raid on Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said.
The ministry identified the victim as 25-year-old Mohammed Jamal Omar Madani. Witnesses told Anadolu that undercover troops infiltrated the camp, sparking clashes with residents.
Another Palestinian was injured by Israeli gunfire before soldiers withdrew, arresting at least one person.
Military bulldozers accompanied by Israeli troops also demolished two Palestinian homes in the town of al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, on claims of lacking building permits.
Rights groups accuse Israel of rarely granting Palestinians construction approval in Area C of the West Bank, which remains under full Israeli control.
According to Palestinian figures, Israeli authorities demolished 588 Palestinian structures in the first half of this year, affecting 843 people, including 411 children.
During the same period, 556 demolition orders were issued, including 322 for inhabited homes and 151 for agricultural structures.
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, at least 1,017 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal. It demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
