Israel’s war on homes: From Hebron to Gaza and southern Lebanon — SkimNews
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- Israeli forces imposed a siege on Hebron on October 23 following the killing of two soldiers, forcibly displacing nearly 5,000 Palestinians and marking homes with black Xs for demolition or military occupation.
- UNRWA reported that more than 34,000 Palestinian refugees remain displaced from Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams camps over a year after Israel’s 'Iron Wall' operation destroyed over half the residential buildings.
- Forensic Architecture verified over 200 incidents of systematic destruction in West Bank refugee camps, including the use of armored bulldozers, controlled demolitions, and street widening through homes to enable military access.
- UNOSAT estimated that by June 16, 2026, 201,290 structures—82% of all buildings—had been damaged or destroyed in Gaza, reducing neighborhoods to rubble and forcing families into tents without reliable water or sanitation.
- UNDP identified 31,259 buildings damaged or destroyed in southern Lebanon as of June 16, 2026, with satellite imagery showing widespread devastation south of the Litani River despite a ceasefire.
- IOM recorded 333,144 displaced people across Lebanon as of September 9, many unable to return due to ongoing Israeli occupation and demolition of homes in southern villages.
- Volker Turk, UN human rights chief, warned that Israeli threats to 'empty and erase entire neighborhoods' in Hebron raise serious concerns of ethnic cleansing and called for displaced Palestinians to be allowed to return.
Why it matters: Over 400,000 people across four regions have been displaced by state-led demolition campaigns that erase not just homes but the possibility of return. The scale and pattern—verified by UN agencies and independent researchers—indicate a coordinated strategy that dismantles civilian infrastructure under military pretext, with long-term territorial control as the likely outcome.
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