LONDON: Israeli authorities demolished a two-building complex in Hebron on Wednesday, near the Hagai settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces stormed the Al-Harayeq area south of Hebron and demolished the residential complex that belonged to the Salhab family, using bulldozers, according to the Wafa news agency.

The first building was a three-story structure with six apartments, while the second was a two-story building with four apartments, both housing more than 40 residents. The buildings belonged to Mohammed Salhab and his brothers, the agency added.

Salhab said the demolition happened despite him having legal documents proving the family’s ownership of the land and an ongoing court appeal against the demolition orders.

During 2025, the Israeli authorities conducted 538 demolitions, totaling 1,400 structures primarily in Hebron, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Tubas, and Nablus, according to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

The Israeli government intends to establish control over the West Bank. It has initiated steps to implement “de facto sovereignty” in the region and introduced measures in February that allow Israel to manage land use in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority and to enable Jewish settlers to exert pressure on Palestinians to relinquish their land.