Israeli authorities demolish home in Shefa‑Amr amid rising demolitions of Arab properties

LONDON: Israeli authorities on Monday demolished a house in Shefa‑Amr, an Arab‑majority city in Israel, citing construction without a permit.

The demolition took place in the Al‑Kasara neighborhood, where six other houses also face imminent destruction, according to the Palestine News Agency. The home, owned by Safiya Hajirat—a Palestinian citizen of Israel—s housed four family members. It covered roughly 140 sq m on a 200 sq m plot, as reported by Arab48.

Arab citizens constitute about 1.6 million people in Israel, accounting for roughly 20 % of the population. Two Arab political parties secured a record‑breaking 19 seats in last month’s Israeli election out of the Knesset’s 120 members.

Over the past two months, home demolitions have increased across Arab towns, including Ibillin, Kabul, Deir Al‑Asad, and Umm Al‑Fahm, as well as in the southern Negev region. In the previous month, authorities destroyed three homes in Umm Numaila and several structures in Abu Quraynat—two unrecognized villages near Rahat in the Negev. The Israeli government lists around 40 villages in the Negev as “unrecognized,” asserting that roughly 55 000 Bedouins cannot provide proof of land ownership. Residents in these communities confront severe hardships, lacking electricity, water, transportation, and public services.

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