May 2026 Demolition and Displacement Report

31 May 2026, Al Jiftlik-Abu al Ajaj, Jericho, photo taken by OCHA oPT

Notes:

Israeli civil administration along with Israeli forces demolished a seed production facility that was being used as a storage and control unit in As Simiya, Hebron. The incident took place in area C allegedly for lacking an Israeli issued building permit.. According to the implementing Palestinian agency, the seed production unit supports about 2,500 Palestinian farmers across the West bank with seed. 31 July 2025

On 31 July 2025, the Israeli Civil Administration, accompanied by four military jeeps and two concrete mixers, sealed off two artesian water wells located in Area B of Beit Dajan village, east of Nablus city. The operation was carried out without prior notice, although multiple visits by Israeli forces and civil administration officials had previously taken place to photograph and inspect the sites. The sealing of the wells reportedly comes from the Israeli authorities’ control over water resources in the West Bank. Notices of seizure were handed over after the wells were sealed. The first artesian well, nearly 400 meters deep, had been fully operational for nearly three years, supplying water to the joint network of Beit Dajan and nearby Beit Furik. It served as a contributing source of drinking water and supported the irrigation of over 100 dunums of greenhouses cultivating tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other crops. The second well, around 370 meters deep, was in its trial operation period. It was constructed to supply water to a poultry slaughterhouse, irrigate olive-planted lands, and support the community water network. This sealing operation has significantly impacted the water resources of Beit Dajan and Beit Furik, reducing availability by an estimated 20%. It directly affected the livelihoods of three families (11 people, including two children) who owned the wells, and indirectly impacted the broader two communities of nearly 23,000 residents, particularly in terms of drinking water access and agricultural irrigation.

There are four categories of demolitions:

Punitive demolitions: Houses demolished as punishment for the actions of people associated with the houses. Administrative demolitions: Houses demolished for lack of a building permit. This happens in Area C and in East Jerusalem, under exclusive Israeli authority, though prior to the existence of Areas A, B & C it occurred in other areas as well.  It is important to point out that in almost all cases, Palestinians have no choice but to build "illegally" as permits are rarely granted Land-clearing operations/Military demolitions: Houses demolished by the IDF in the course of military operations for the purposes of clearing off a piece of land (for whatever reason), achieve a military goal or to kill wanted persons as part of Israel’s policy of extrajudicial executions.. Undefined demolitions: These include mainly demolitions resulting from land-clearing operations and removal of Palestinian populations.

*       WASH stands for structures relating to water, sanitation and hygiene.

†       In many cases, notably in East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities condition Palestinians to either demolish their properties themselves or have the authorities do so. In an attempt to avoid having to pay the high fee of the Israeli authorities’ demolition operation and additional high fines, many Palestinians are forced to self-demolish.

** No additional information was available

Above data is from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality, B’Tselem