Israeli forces flatten homes in wildcat Palestinian village, leaving 11 homeless

Defense Ministry inspectors accompanied by security forces demolished a series of illegal structures in the south Hebron hills area of the West Bank that left 11 people homeless, the B’Tselem rights group says.

Troops arrived early this morning to Khirbet Khalat a-Daba and flattened two homes where 11 Palestinians, including seven minors, lived. A third home that was still being built was also demolished.

From there, the forces continued to nearby Khirbet a-Rakiz, demolishing an agricultural structure and an outhouse before moving on to the village of Zif where they destroyed a sheep pen, B’Tselem says.

Yesterday, forces demolished two sheep pens and an outhouse and confiscated a water tank in the northern Jordan Valley village of Fasa’il a-Tahta. The equipment belonged to families who had their homes demolished less than six months ago.

Israel maintains it has a right to demolish illegally build structures, while Palestinians point out that Jerusalem almost never approves building permits for them in Area C of the West Bank, which Israel controls.