Israeli Supreme Court approves mass demolition of Palestinian homes in West Bank

The Israeli Supreme Court issued a ruling that would allow for the destruction of scores of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, a rights group announced on Saturday.

The ruling was quietly passed on 24 December following a hearing that took place on the same day, and rejects petitions put forward, the Adalah rights group said.

According to reports, the decision came after the state presented ‘secret evidence’ it claimed justified the destruction of the homes.

The court accepted the Israeli military’s claim that the demolitions are a "legitimate military necessity," based on the secret evidence, despite the buildings being civilian homes.

The ruling will now pave the way for around 25 civilian homes in the camp to be demolished.

Adalah, which campaigns on behalf of Palestinians in Israel, noted that many of the residents are vulnerable, with some being elderly, disabled or parents of young children.

"The Court also rejected arguments concerning violations of residents’ fundamental rights and ruled that the 72-hour notice given to families to remove belongings is "sufficient," despite ongoing prolonged displacement in the camp," the rights group said in a press statement.

Adalah warned that the demolition order will result in the forced displacement of Palestinians, which is prohibited under international law, noting that residents have also been informed by the military that they will not be able to rebuild homes in demolished areas, effectively banning them from ever returning to their homes.

Dr. Suhad Bishara, Adalah’s attorney, noted that this most recent demolition order, combined with previous ones, equates to nearly half of Nur Shams’ buildings being damaged or destroyed and hundreds of families without proper shelter.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces have accelerated their attacks, incursions and home demolitions in the occupied West Bank.

Around 40,000 residents have been displaced in the West Bank since January, prompting Adalah to file petitions against the mass demolitions of homes in several cities, including in Jenin and Tulkarem.

Human Rights Watch last month reported that the forced displacement of residents of refugee camps amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The rights watchdog states the Geneva Conventions prohibits the displacement of civilians from occupied areas, and emphasised that displaced civilians should be protected, given accommodation and be allowed to return in case they have to be temporarily removed for crucial and justified military reasons.

The group further states that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials, including defence minister Israel Katz, should be investigated for the refugee camp operations and prosecuted for war crimes.

"Governments should impose targeted sanctions and take other urgent action to press Israeli authorities to end their repressive policies," the report from the rights group concluded.