Israel demolishes Palestinian village

Israeli forces have demolished almost an entire village in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron), leaving hundreds of Palestinians displaced.

At least 300 Palestinians were left homeless after Israeli bulldozers, backed by several military vehicles, demolished nearly the entire village of al-Dqayqa, Ma’an news agency reported on Thursday.

Odeh An-Najada, a local councilman for the village, said four bulldozers accompanied by 30 military vehicles entered the area and began destroying homes.

“They demolished everything in the area, the whole thing, they left no building for people to live in,” an-Najada said.

Parts of the village school were also destroyed, said Fawzi Abu Hlayyil, the director of the office of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education in Hebron, who denounced the demolition as an “ugly crime.”

Israeli forces later dispersed Palestinians protesting the demolition of the village and detained four people.

Israel seized East al-Quds along with the West Bank from Jordan in the Six-Day War of 1967.

Palestinian homes and other structures in East al-Quds and the occupied West Bank are demolished by Israel on a regular basis.

Israel claims the demolitions are only ordered for structures that were built without permits.

The Palestinians, however, say it is virtually impossible to get a building permit, particularly for housing in the city, according to an Israeli civil rights group.

The civil rights group, Ir Amim, said the rise in demolitions is a calculated move to drive Palestinians out of the city.