Israeli forces expel dozens of residents from West Bank homes to turn them into barracks
Fayha Shalash
18 June 2025
Palestinian sources have reported that the Israeli army has occupied a large number of homes in Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah and Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank, and converted them into military barracks after evicting their owners.
This surprise move coincided with the launch of Israel’s attacks on Iran last Friday. Analysts and residents have said that the army is stationing soldiers inside Palestinian homes and neighbourhoods to shield them from being targeted by Iranian missiles aimed at military camps.
In the towns of Rummana, Anin and Jalboun near Jenin, 17 homes were seized, while several other homes were taken in the southern area of Hebron and the town of Idhna to the west. Israeli soldiers also converted a three-storey building into a headquarters in the town of Birzeit, north of Ramallah.
Speaking to Middle East Eye from Hebron, Abdel-Jabbar Shabaneh told Middle East Eye that the Israeli army on Friday stormed the residential building where he, his brothers and several other relatives live in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood.
The soldiers forcibly evicted more than 50 residents, most of them children, citing security reasons. When the families asked to retrieve essential belongings, the soldiers assaulted them.
"The soldiers beat me, my brothers, and my cousins for at least an hour. We were hospitalised because we asked them how long they would be staying in the building and asked to take some items," he said.
Later that same day, the soldiers left the building and allowed the residents to return - only to find their apartments ransacked. Their belongings had been vandalised, their furniture destroyed, and the interiors heavily damaged.
At 3am on Saturday, the soldiers returned to the building and evicted the residents once again, causing fear among the children and distress among the families, who left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
"They stayed in the building until Monday evening, and when we returned, we found even greater destruction," Shabaneh said. "They had left a note that read, ‘Thank you, we will return,’ which has left us living in constant fear of their return and of being displaced again under this new measure."
Steps towards annexation
The town of Rummana, west of Jenin - whose land was seized by the construction of the apartheid wall because of its location between the West Bank and the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 - has been subjected to a policy of military home occupation.
The town's mayor, Hassan Subaihat, told MEE that the Israeli army has seized 12 homes since 13 June, citing security concerns.
The soldiers expelled 45 residents from their homes in the Jabal al-Lahf area, preventing them from taking any clothing or personal belongings.
"The residents are still staying with relatives in the town, but they live under very difficult conditions, as they still need to retrieve essential items from their homes, especially clothing for women and children, the mayor added.
The municipality submitted a coordination request to allow residents to enter their homes, even for just an hour, to pick up some necessities, but the request was rejected. Meanwhile, soldiers raised Israeli flags over the houses, provoking the town's residents.
"Since the start of the war with Iran, soldiers have been wreaking havoc in the town on a daily basis, shooting at shops, assaulting their owners, breaking windows, and spreading chaos and terror. They tell us to check with the military liaison regarding the occupied homes, but the liaison doesn't even respond to our calls," Subaihat said.
The sounds of destruction of contents are heard daily inside the homes occupied by soldiers, leaving their owners in a constant state of anxiety. They also fear a permanent occupation, especially since they are located in Area C, which Israel seeks to annex.
The daily sounds of soldiers ransacking and destroying household items inside the occupied homes have left the owners in a constant state of anxiety. Many also fear the occupation will become permanent, particularly as the homes lie in Area C, which Israel aims to annex.
"Recently, [far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich's statements that the West Bank is Judea and Samaria for them. What we are seeing in the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus camps are all new measures that didn’t previously exist. These are accelerating steps toward annexation and constitute crimes against humanity," Subaihat said.
Palestinians as human shields
Palestinians reported that in recent days, trucks have also been confiscated from residents of Jerusalem to serve as mobile sleeping quarters for soldiers across Israel, including the Jordan Valley and the Negev, as well as for transportation that avoids drawing attention as military vehicles.
Issa Amro, coordinator of the Youth Against Settlements group, said that Israel has emptied all of the Israeli army camps in Hebron and relocated them to buildings and homes deep within Palestinian territory for soldiers to hide in after expelling their owners.
According to international law, soldiers are legitimate targets in war, and military camps may be clearly targeted. The use of civilians is prohibited. According to Amro, the presence of the Israeli army in residential areas and neighbourhoods constitutes a war crime.
"The use of civilians as human shields is the same accusation Israel made against Hamas in Gaza, that its members hide among civilians," Amro said.
"This same accusation is being made by Israel with a clear plan by expelling residents from their homes and occupying them. In other words, the Israeli army is the priority at the expense of Palestinian children and families."
www.middleeasteye.net
Fayha Shalash
18 June 2025
Palestinian sources have reported that the Israeli army has occupied a large number of homes in Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah and Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank, and converted them into military barracks after evicting their owners.
This surprise move coincided with the launch of Israel’s attacks on Iran last Friday. Analysts and residents have said that the army is stationing soldiers inside Palestinian homes and neighbourhoods to shield them from being targeted by Iranian missiles aimed at military camps.
In the towns of Rummana, Anin and Jalboun near Jenin, 17 homes were seized, while several other homes were taken in the southern area of Hebron and the town of Idhna to the west. Israeli soldiers also converted a three-storey building into a headquarters in the town of Birzeit, north of Ramallah.
Speaking to Middle East Eye from Hebron, Abdel-Jabbar Shabaneh told Middle East Eye that the Israeli army on Friday stormed the residential building where he, his brothers and several other relatives live in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood.
The soldiers forcibly evicted more than 50 residents, most of them children, citing security reasons. When the families asked to retrieve essential belongings, the soldiers assaulted them.
"The soldiers beat me, my brothers, and my cousins for at least an hour. We were hospitalised because we asked them how long they would be staying in the building and asked to take some items," he said.
Later that same day, the soldiers left the building and allowed the residents to return - only to find their apartments ransacked. Their belongings had been vandalised, their furniture destroyed, and the interiors heavily damaged.
At 3am on Saturday, the soldiers returned to the building and evicted the residents once again, causing fear among the children and distress among the families, who left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
"They stayed in the building until Monday evening, and when we returned, we found even greater destruction," Shabaneh said. "They had left a note that read, ‘Thank you, we will return,’ which has left us living in constant fear of their return and of being displaced again under this new measure."
Steps towards annexation
The town of Rummana, west of Jenin - whose land was seized by the construction of the apartheid wall because of its location between the West Bank and the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 - has been subjected to a policy of military home occupation.
The town's mayor, Hassan Subaihat, told MEE that the Israeli army has seized 12 homes since 13 June, citing security concerns.
The soldiers expelled 45 residents from their homes in the Jabal al-Lahf area, preventing them from taking any clothing or personal belongings.
"The residents are still staying with relatives in the town, but they live under very difficult conditions, as they still need to retrieve essential items from their homes, especially clothing for women and children, the mayor added.
The municipality submitted a coordination request to allow residents to enter their homes, even for just an hour, to pick up some necessities, but the request was rejected. Meanwhile, soldiers raised Israeli flags over the houses, provoking the town's residents.
"Since the start of the war with Iran, soldiers have been wreaking havoc in the town on a daily basis, shooting at shops, assaulting their owners, breaking windows, and spreading chaos and terror. They tell us to check with the military liaison regarding the occupied homes, but the liaison doesn't even respond to our calls," Subaihat said.
The sounds of destruction of contents are heard daily inside the homes occupied by soldiers, leaving their owners in a constant state of anxiety. They also fear a permanent occupation, especially since they are located in Area C, which Israel seeks to annex.
The daily sounds of soldiers ransacking and destroying household items inside the occupied homes have left the owners in a constant state of anxiety. Many also fear the occupation will become permanent, particularly as the homes lie in Area C, which Israel aims to annex.
"Recently, [far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich's statements that the West Bank is Judea and Samaria for them. What we are seeing in the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus camps are all new measures that didn’t previously exist. These are accelerating steps toward annexation and constitute crimes against humanity," Subaihat said.
Palestinians as human shields
Palestinians reported that in recent days, trucks have also been confiscated from residents of Jerusalem to serve as mobile sleeping quarters for soldiers across Israel, including the Jordan Valley and the Negev, as well as for transportation that avoids drawing attention as military vehicles.
Issa Amro, coordinator of the Youth Against Settlements group, said that Israel has emptied all of the Israeli army camps in Hebron and relocated them to buildings and homes deep within Palestinian territory for soldiers to hide in after expelling their owners.
According to international law, soldiers are legitimate targets in war, and military camps may be clearly targeted. The use of civilians is prohibited. According to Amro, the presence of the Israeli army in residential areas and neighbourhoods constitutes a war crime.
"The use of civilians as human shields is the same accusation Israel made against Hamas in Gaza, that its members hide among civilians," Amro said.
"This same accusation is being made by Israel with a clear plan by expelling residents from their homes and occupying them. In other words, the Israeli army is the priority at the expense of Palestinian children and families."
Israel army stations soldiers in Palestinian homes to avoid Iranian strikes, residents say
Israeli forces expel dozens of residents from West Bank homes to turn them into barracks
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