SAFA — Israeli forces on Wednesday demolished homes and other structures in Khirbet al-Tabban, a Palestinian hamlet in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron, forcibly displacing 12 families and leaving 70 Palestinians, including 28 children, homeless.

The demolitions also targeted infrastructure essential to housing, agriculture and livestock, dealing a severe blow to residents’ livelihoods and their ability to remain on their land.

Nidal Younis, head of the Masafer Yatta village council, said Israeli troops began evacuating residents from their homes early in the morning before bulldozers moved in to demolish buildings and other facilities.

He described the Israeli operation as an attempt to “eliminate the Palestinian presence” in the community.

According to human rights documentation, Israeli forces demolished all 12 homes in the community, along with caves, tents, sheep pens, agricultural facilities, water infrastructure and other structures used by residents.

Residents were unable to remove all their belongings before the demolitions began.

Images from the scene showed Palestinian families standing amid the rubble of their homes and searching for temporary shelter.

The impact extends beyond the loss of housing. Residents of Khirbet al-Tabban rely heavily on livestock and small-scale agriculture, making the destruction of agricultural facilities, animal shelters and water infrastructure a direct threat to their livelihoods and ability to remain in the community.

The demolition comes amid mounting Israeli pressure on Palestinian communities across Masafer Yatta, including the demolition of homes, agricultural structures and water facilities, as well as severe restrictions on Palestinian construction and movement.

Human rights groups have also documented repeated Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians, their property, livestock and farmland across the area.

Israeli forces had previously demolished Palestinian structures in Khirbet al-Tabban, including an agricultural structure in August, as part of repeated demolition operations targeting Palestinian communities in the region.

Masafer Yatta is among the Palestinian areas facing intense displacement pressure in the southern occupied West Bank, where demolitions, restrictions on access and severe limitations on construction have made it increasingly difficult for communities to remain on their land.

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said Khirbet al-Tabban became the 66th Palestinian community to be completely emptied of its residents since October 2023.

Another 18 Palestinian communities have been partially displaced during the same period, the organization said.

According to B’Tselem, approximately 4,931 Palestinians, including more than 2,300 children and teenagers, have been displaced from Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank amid settler violence and other coercive measures.