Police Demolish Part of Beit Hanina Compound After Detaining West Bank Residents

Residents of the Beit Hanina neighborhood in Jerusalem woke to the sound of demolition crews on Friday morning as Israeli police razed a portion of a local compound. The action followed a discovery that the site continued to house Palestinians from the West Bank without the necessary permits.

Police officials stated that the demolition came three weeks after an initial operation at the same location. During that earlier raid, officers apprehended 155 individuals from the West Bank who were staying at the compound.

A follow-up inspection on Friday revealed that five additional Palestinians remained on the premises. This was despite a formal closure order having been issued for the site. Authorities questioned the five individuals and subsequently deported them to their respective areas in the West Bank.

Following the removal of the residents, police worked with the Jerusalem Municipality to demolish the specific section of the compound used for housing. The municipality coordinated the physical dismantling of the structures once the site was cleared.

The enforcement action in Beit Hanina coincides with separate developments in the West Bank. On Thursday, the organizations Bimkom, Ir Amim, and Peace Now reported that a Bedouin community is currently being demolished. This work is being done in preparation for the E1 settlement plan near Jerusalem. The groups noted that the operation displaced approximately 20 Bedouin residents, destroying homes, kitchens, and sanitation facilities.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded that 1,429 Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank have been demolished by Israeli authorities in 2026. These actions have led to the displacement of 2,048 people. The UN report acknowledged that most of these demolitions are typically carried out due to a lack of Israeli-issued permits.