Israeli military storms West Bank towns, carries out demolition

Palestinian officials condemn the actions as part of a ‘systematic policy of displacement’ in the occupied territory.Published On 22 Dec 2025Israeli forces have stormed towns in the occupied West Bank and demolished a residential building.Soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas on Monday as they carried out the demolition in Jerusalem" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="3077" data-entity-type="location">East Jerusalem. Palestinian officials accused Israel of a campaign of displacement in the city, saying the operation was part of a systematic attempt to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their land.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Japan set to restart world’s biggest nuclear power plantlist 2 of 4Thousands of Serbians protest government pressure on universitieslist 3 of 4US accused of stealing oil after intercepting third Venezuelan tankerlist 4 of 4Russian general killed in car bombing in Moscowend of listScores of Palestinians were displaced as Israeli bulldozers tore through a four-storey residential building. Activists called it the largest such demolition in the area this year.Three bulldozers destroyed the building with 13 apartments in the Wadi Qaddum neighbourhood of the Silwan district, south of Jerusalem’s Old City, Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents reported.Israeli forces cordoned off surrounding roads, deployed heavily across the area and positioned security personnel on the rooftops of neighbouring houses. During the operation, a young man and a teenage boy were arrested.Residents were told the demolition order was issued because the building had been constructed without a permit.Palestinians face severe obstacles in obtaining building permits due to Israel’s restrictive planning policies, activists say, a policy that they assert is part of a systematic attempt to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their land.Israel’s security cabinet has recently approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the West Bank, expanding the total number approved this year to 69 as the government continues its settlement push.