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, as well as in Israel proper, 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. In the first several months of the ongoing Gaza war, Israel further demolished over 2,000 Palestinian homes in the West Bank. Furthermore, Israel has demolished homes within its borders, targeting Bedouin and Palestinian Druze communities. Israel justifies these demolitions by claiming that the houses are built without permits. Arab Israeli communities have argued that getting building permits in Israel is exceedingly difficult for Palestinian citizens.

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.