Israeli occupation forces (IOF) demolished ten Palestinian homes in the city of Rahat, within the 1948-occupied territories, on Wednesday, under the pretext of “unauthorised construction.” The destruction left approximately 50 members of the Al-Ataika family homeless in an instant.
A large contingent of heavily armed Israeli soldiers stormed the city, accompanied by bulldozers, to carry out the demolitions under heavy security. This scenario has become a routine occurrence in Palestinian towns and villages across the occupied territories, where Palestinian residents—despite being recognised as “citizens”—are systematically denied building permits, despite their rightful ownership of the land.
These demolitions are not isolated incidents but part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at marginalising Palestinians within the Green Line. Although they hold Israeli citizenship, they continue to face systematic land confiscation, home demolitions, and displacement, while illegal Israeli settlements expand on the same confiscated lands.
Under Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention, the destruction of civilian property and the forced displacement of residents without absolute military necessity are prohibited. However, Israeli authorities persist in justifying these demolitions under a fabricated legal pretext while simultaneously advancing settlement expansion for Jewish settlers.
This policy of home demolitions and forced displacement constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and amounts to systematic ethnic cleansing. Urgent global action is required to pressure Israeli authorities to cease these violations and uphold the fundamental rights of Palestinian residents to housing and land ownership.
