Demolition for Alleged Military Necessity
Over the years, Israel has demolished hundreds of homes and destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmland, claiming it necessary “for military purposes”. The policy was used primarily in the Gaza Strip during the second intifada and the rounds of fighting since, allegedly to create “security zones” around Israeli settlements and military posts (before the Disengagement Plan was implemented), and near the border (after Disengagement). It is an unlawful policy which has disastrous long-term effects for thousands of Palestinians who were made homeless or lost their sole source of income.
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677 administrative demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the beginning of 2025
Denial of the fundamental right to housing is a key tool of oppression used by Israel's apartheid regime against Palestinians
Guidelines for Israel's Investigation into Operation Cast Lead
B'Tselem issued a position paper detailing the guidelines of the necessary Israeli investigation of its conduct during the operation in Gaza. B'Tselem's initial survey of the military operation calls into question Israeli statements that the…
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Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation is inextricably bound up in human rights violations. B’Tselem strives to end this regime, as that is the only way forward to a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Israel has acted in a coordinated and deliberate manner to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip, committing genocide against its residents. In light of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the public statements made by Israeli decision-makers, and the international community’s failure to take effective action, there is a serious risk that the Israeli regime will expand the genocide to other areas under its control—first and foremost, the West Bank.
B’Tselem calls on the Israeli public and the international community to use every tool available under international law to bring an immediate end to Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.