DaysofPal – Israeli forces raided the northern West Bank city of Nablus early Thursday, accompanied by demolition machinery, as part of an ongoing campaign of home demolitions and arrests that has intensified across the occupied territory.
Multiple Israeli military vehicles, escorted by bulldozers and trucks, entered Nablus through the al-Tur military checkpoint and advanced toward the New Nablus area. Local sources reported that Israeli authorities had previously issued demolition notices to a number of homes in the city, particularly in the New Nablus and al-Taawun neighborhoods, setting January 5 as the final deadline for implementation.
Under heavy military protection, Israeli forces began demolishing a house belonging to the al-Abed family, along with surrounding walls, in the al-Taawun neighborhood on Thursday morning.
The operation followed earlier measures taken on December 13, 2025, when Israeli forces compelled six families living on Upper Taawun Street to evacuate their home, three residential buildings containing six apartments, in preparation for their demolition.
Those families had received demolition orders designating December 31, 2025, as the final date for evacuation and execution, because the buildings were allegedly constructed in an area classified as “Area C.” However, local data indicate that the homes have been under threat of demolition since 2021, along with ten other houses, despite planning maps showing that the area falls within “Area B.”
Over the past two years, Israeli authorities have demolished six inhabited homes in the same area, even though all the targeted houses were built more than 15 years ago.
In a similar development, Israeli forces raided Nablus at dawn, arresting journalist Marwan Harzallah after storming his home in the town of Beit Iba, west of the city. Another arrest was reported in Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, where young man Dhafer Abu Hweila was detained from his home. Several journalists covering the demolition operations in the Upper Taawun neighborhood suffered from tear gas inhalation after being targeted with gas canisters by Israeli forces.
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reports that 23,827 documented violations occurred in 2025 as a result of attacks by Israeli forces and settlers that killed 14 Palestinians and uprooted 13 Bedouin communities, totaling about 1,090 people.
The West Bank and occupied Jerusalem have witnessed a sharp escalation in raids, demolitions, and arrests since the outbreak of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, deepening fears of a sustained and widening crackdown on Palestinian communities.
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