Aqabah is a Palestinian village in the northeastern West Bank, which is being targeted for demolition by the Israeli Civil Administration as the majority of structures were alleged to have been built without permits from the Israeli military administration. Surrounded by two Israeli military bases and a ‘virtual wall’ of checkpoints, Al-Aqaba's connections to neighboring communities, markets and the Jordan Valley have been gradually severed: since 1967, al-Aqaba's population has decreased by 85%, dropping from around 2,000 to less than 200 today. While many al-Aqaba residents no longer live in the village itself, they still hope to return to their land, and still send their children to the local school.
Aqabah in Area C of West Bank, under Israeli control.
Children of kindergarten slated for demolition holding "pinwheels for peace."
Israeli demolition of Palestinian property
Demolition of Palestinian property is a method Israel has used in the Israeli-occupied territories since they came under its control in the Six-Day War to achieve various aims. Broadly speaking, demolitions can be classified as either administrative, punitive/dissuasive and as part of military operations. The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions estimated that Israel had razed 55,048 Palestinian structures as of 2022.
Administrative house demolitions are done to enforce building codes and regulations, which in the occupied Palestinian territories are set by the Israeli military. Critics claim that they are used as a means to Judaize parts of the occupied territory, especially East Jerusalem.
Punitive house demolitions involve demolishing houses of Palestinians or neighbors and relatives of Palestinians suspected of violent acts against Israelis. These target the homes where the suspects live. Proponents of the method claim that it deters violence while critics claim that it has not been proven effective and might even trigger more violence. Punitive house demolitions have been criticized by a Palestinian human rights organization as a form of collective punishment and thus a war crime under international law.
Two demolished apartment homes of the 8-member Idris family, their relative, her husband and their two children (Beit Hanina, 2014)
An IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer razing a house during the Second Intifada (2000–2005)
The Idris family collecting their belongings after the demolition (Beit Hanina, 2014)
A Palestinian home after demolition by Israeli military forces