Israeli Forces Demolish Homes and Walls in Bethlehem’s Malha Area

BETHLEHEM: Israeli occupation forces have demolished two homes and three concrete walls in the Malha area, east of Za'tara town in the Bethlehem province of the southern West Bank. The demolitions are part of ongoing actions in a region under full Israeli control. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Abdel Qader Dweib, a member of the Za'tara Municipal Council, reported that an Israeli military force, equipped with heavy machinery, carried out the demolition of two homes, each measuring approximately 100 square meters. The operation also included the destruction of three concrete walls surrounding land owned by local residents. The Israeli authorities have justified the demolitions by citing that the structures were erected in Area C of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli control as per the Oslo Accords. Dweib highlighted that this move is part of a broader strategy by Israel to exert pressure on Palestinians through the demolition of their homes. He further noted an increase in measures aimed at seizing land for colonial purposes and displacing local residents within the eastern Bethlehem countryside.