Israeli Occupation Forces Demolish 2 Palestinian-Owned Houses in the West Bank

Israeli troops demolished 2 houses belonging to Palestinians in the West Bank, near the town of Bethlehem, accompanied by bulldozers. The Israeli soldiers claimed that the houses were 'unlicensed' as the reason for the demolition. Additionally, the Israeli army conducted raids in various areas in the West Bank including Jericho, Qabatiya, Jenin, Nablus, and Qalqilya. According to the Palestine Liberation Organization's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israel demolished 125 structures in August, including homes, commercial buildings, and agricultural facilities. Israeli authorities often demolish Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem under the pretext of being 'unlicensed'. The Palestinian Authority and Israel divided the West Bank into A, B, and C zones under the 'Second Oslo Agreement' signed in 1995. While the administrative and security control of the A zone belongs to Palestine, the B zone is under Palestinian administrative control but Israeli security control, and the C zone, comprising 61% of the territory, is under full Israeli control. Since the start of the Israeli attack on Gaza on October 7, 2023, there has been an increase in arrests, raids, and attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.