Israeli forces carried out another round of home demolitions in Masafer Yatta on Wednesday, widening a pattern of displacement in the occupied West Bank that has drawn global criticism and intensified scrutiny of Israel’s broader military policies. The latest operation targeted residential structures across several villages, leaving multiple Palestinian families without shelter as winter approaches.

The demolitions took place in an area long contested between Palestinian residents and the Israeli military, which classifies much of Masafer Yatta as a firing zone. Palestinians who have lived in the region for generations challenge that designation, describing the repeated demolitions as part of an effort to force communities out of the terrain altogether.

Footage shared by local activists showed bulldozers tearing through stone homes as residents attempted to salvage belongings. Human rights groups say the demolitions violate international humanitarian law, arguing that protected civilian populations cannot be forcibly displaced under military pretexts.

The incident comes at a time of rising tension across multiple parts of the West Bank, where Israeli raids, settler violence, and mobility restrictions have surged in recent months. Diplomats and humanitarian agencies have urged Israel to halt the demolitions, warning that the loss of housing, agricultural land, and infrastructure is accelerating a humanitarian crisis.

Israeli authorities maintain that the structures removed were built without permits, a justification Palestinians and rights organisations counter by pointing to the near impossibility of securing construction approvals in Area C. The disparity, they say, reveals a systemic policy that leaves Palestinian communities exposed to repeated cycles of destruction.

As the latest images from Masafer Yatta circulate, pressure is mounting on international actors to intervene, though past condemnations have done little to alter the trajectory on the ground. For the families affected, the demolitions signal yet another setback in a territory where stability remains fragile and the path forward uncertain.