Israel Issues 11 Demolition Orders Against Palestinian Homes in Hizma, Near Occupied Jerusalem

Israeli occupation authorities issued demolition orders on Wednesday targeting 11 Palestinian homes and structures in the town of Hizma, northeast of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank, as part of an escalation against the community and its residents.

“Israeli occupation authorities issued demolition orders on Wednesday targeting 11 Palestinian homes and structures in the town of Hizma, northeast of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank, as part of the ongoing escalation against the community and its residents”

- IMEMC News

The Jerusalem Governorate said occupation forces invaded Hizma, distributing demolition notices for residential homes and commercial structures near the main entrance under the pretext of “building without a permit,” and the new orders include seven homes and four structures.

- IMEMC News

WAFA reported that a demolition and expulsion order issued by the Israeli occupying municipality against the home of Abdel Dayem Mohammad Khatib would be carried out within 20 days from yesterday, with financial fines if the demolition is not carried out.

WAFA also said the occupying municipality of the Wadi al-Jouz neighborhood issued demolition notices against a car dealership and the removal of its laundromat, warning it would demolish them itself if the notices were not addressed.

Al-Jazeera Net said Israeli occupation forces handed out eight demolition notices in Hizma and arrested about 20 Palestinians during a raid that lasted for hours, with seven others arrested in other areas of the Jerusalem Governorate.

The same report described a wide campaign of raids, searches, and arrests in Hizma coinciding with the closing of surrounding military checkpoints, preventing entry to and exit from the town.

Al-Jazeera Net

Al-Jazeera Net said eyewitness testimonies and circulating videos showed soldiers confiscating a vehicle from the town and stealing crates of bottled water from in front of a grocery store during the raid.

It also reported that on June 15, 2025, the Israeli army installed two gates at the eastern and western entrances to Hizma, and that the head of Hizma Municipality, Nofan Salah al-Din, said all town entrances are now closed by gates or concrete blocks.

WAFA said the adviser to the Jerusalem governor, Marouf Al-Rifai, stated that the occupation government has begun issuing direct orders for demolition operations and that demolitions are taking place without prior notice.

“Jerusalem, July 22, 2024, WAFA - Israeli occupation authorities have issued demolition orders to a number of installations in the occupied city of Jerusalem”

وكالة الانباء والمعلومات الفلسطينية

He added that Israel demolishes buildings inside East Jerusalem despite having obtained licenses from the municipalities, and he said there are more than 33,000 properties at risk of demolition in Jerusalem.

IMEMC News reported that for months Hizma has been subjected to repeated military invasions, home searches, abductions, and the closure of its entrances, with several homes turned into military outposts.

IMEMC News also said Israeli forces issued orders to uproot olive trees and bulldoze agricultural lands in Hizma, describing it as part of a broader policy aimed at tightening control over the town and facilitating colonial expansion in the Jerusalem area.