‘They destroyed us’: Palestinian family sleeps in the open after demolition

What Happened

On July 28, Israeli soldiers, Civil Administration officials, and settlers demolished the home of Adel and Kheirieh Daraghmeh in Ein el-Hilweh, located in the northern Jordan Valley of the occupied West Bank. According to the family and their lawyer, Tawfiq Jabareen, the demolition proceeded despite an active Israeli Supreme Court injunction that had suspended a 2022 demolition order pending further legal review. The family reported that no new demolition order was presented during the operation, which resulted in the destruction of their residence, household goods, and medical supplies. This incident follows the July 2 demolition of a home belonging to the family's son, Hilal Daraghmeh, which the prosecution previously characterized as a mistake by the military.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The demolition highlights the increasing vulnerability of Palestinian herding communities in Area C of the West Bank, where residents face a combination of military-led demolitions and pressure from nearby settler outposts. The disregard for Supreme Court injunctions suggests a breakdown in the limited legal avenues previously available to Palestinians to contest property destruction, raising concerns about the erosion of legal protections in the region.

Watch For

Monitor for further legal challenges by the West Bank Protection Consortium and potential escalations in the Jordan Valley as settler outposts continue to expand. Observers should also track whether the Israeli government addresses the reported failure of the military to adhere to court-ordered stays on demolitions.