New figures released by the left-wing Bimkom human rights organization show that a massive increase in Israel’s demolition of illegal Palestinian structures in the West Bank in 2024 continued through 2025, with 96 percent of all demolition orders against Palestinian construction approved last year.

At the same time, the percentage of demolition orders carried out against illegal Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank was far lower, at just 20%.

The new data comes against the backdrop of a massive expansion of Israel’s West Bank settlements under the current government, the approval of tens of thousands of housing units for the settlements, and the establishment of over 200 illegal settlement outposts that are funded by various government ministries and have not been demolished by state authorities.

Alon Cohen Lifshitz, director of Bimkom’s planning and community department, asserted that the demolition data was testimony to these policies adopted by the government — and in particular Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — designed to favor the Israeli settlement enterprise and hamper Palestinian life in Area C of the West Bank. Israel has full security and civilian control in Area C, where all 500,000 Israeli settlers live, alongside an estimated 180,000 – 300,000 Palestinians, according to the B’Tselem organization.

According to Bimkom’s data for 2025, 1,005 demolition orders were issued against illegally constructed Palestinian buildings in Area C, of which 962 were carried........

© The Times of Israel