Palestine

Israel forces Palestinian to demolish his own house in Tamra

Homeowner left homeless after exhausting legal procedures and appeal rejection, according to a relative

Hosni Nedim

July 19, 2026 • Updated: July 19, 2026

RAMALLAH

RAMALLAH / Hosni Nedim / Anadolu

Israeli authorities on Sunday forced a Palestinian from the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel to demolish his own house.

The demolition came after exhausting legal procedures and the rejection of the appeal against the decision, prompting the family to carry it out to avoid exorbitant costs that Israeli authorities would impose if they demolished the house using their own equipment.

Tamra, along with other Arab towns in the Galilee (north), Triangle (center), and Negev (south), is witnessing an increase in Israeli house demolition orders under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

Palestinian residents say obtaining building permits is nearly impossible in many cases due to planning restrictions and lack of land designated for construction.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted Ahmed Baqa'i, a relative of the homeowner, as saying that the family received the final demolition order and was informed Thursday evening that no additional time would be granted to file an appeal or take legal action to stop its implementation.

Baqa'i explained that the family received the final demolition order and was informed last Thursday evening that there was no additional time to file an appeal or take legal action that would stop the implementation of the decision.

He mentioned that the homeowner became homeless after the demolition of his house, and the family may have to set up a tent on their land and live in it.

Baqa'i pointed out that the house was also used as a shelter for neighborhood residents during the war period, in the absence of public shelters.

He stressed that the area suffers from a severe shortage of fortified shelters.

Since the genocide war in the Gaza Strip began on October 8, 2023, Israel has intensified its attacks in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, through its army and settlers, including killings, demolition of homes and facilities, displacement of Palestinians, and settlement expansion.

Palestinians warn that these attacks seem to pave the way for Israel to officially annex the West Bank, which would mean the end of the possibility of implementing the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli) stipulated in UN resolutions.

In 1948, Israel was established on lands occupied by armed Zionist gangs that committed massacres and displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Then Tel Aviv occupied the rest of the Palestinian territories and refuses to withdraw and allow the establishment of a Palestinian state.