'Israel' orders demolition of entire al-Naaman village near Beit Lahm
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Israeli occupation forces threaten mass displacement in al-Naaman village near Beit Lahm by issuing demolition orders for all 45 homes, in a move aiming to annex the area.
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Israeli armoured vehicles drive past burning tires during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP)
Israeli occupation authorities issued demolition orders on Tuesday for all 45 homes in the Palestinian village of al-Naaman, located east of Beit Lahm. The orders signal a looming mass expulsion of the village's residents.
Jamal Darawshi, head of the al-Naaman village council, confirmed that occupation forces raided the village in the morning and distributed demolition notices to every home. He noted that this is the second collective notice issued to the residents in recent months.
According to Darawshi, the occupation also informed the village council verbally that this could be the final warning before the immediate implementation of demolition operations. He described the development as a “disaster threatening the existence of an entire village inhabited by more than 150 people, most of them women and children.”
Long-standing ban on construction, renovation in al-Naaman
Darawshi highlighted that the targeted homes date back to the 1940s, decades before the occupation of the West Bank began in 1967. He added that for over 25 years, Israeli authorities have imposed a complete ban on any construction, renovation, or expansion in the village.
The latest demolition orders follow a similar notice issued on January 26 of this year, reflecting what appears to be a systematic policy aimed at forcibly displacing the village’s residents and annexing its land into the municipal boundaries of the occupation’s municipality in occupied al-Quds.
Residents burdened with retroactive property taxes
Darawshi also revealed that a year and a half ago, an Israeli military court imposed the “Arnona” property tax retroactively on al-Naaman residents, covering six previous years. Each household was required to pay between 30,000 and 60,000 shekels.
Al-Naaman is located 4.5 kilometers east of Beit Lahm. It is bordered by the village of al-Khas to the east, Sur Baher in occupied al-Quds to the north, and Beit Sahour to the west and south.
May sets record for IOF demolitions
May marked a record high in the number of demolitions carried out by Israeli occupation forces in occupied East al-Quds, as per statistics published by the Israeli organisation Ir Amim.
Ir Amim, which monitors developments in al-Quds, revealed that “May saw the highest number of demolitions in 2025 so far, with a total of 33 buildings torn down, including 16 residential units and 17 non-residential structures.”
According to the organization, the total number of demolitions in East al-Quds since the beginning of the year has now reached 93. These include 53 residential units and 40 non-residential structures.
Read more: 7 Palestinians arrested, 1 killed by IOF in West Bank raids
