Settler-operated excavators have demolished or damaged Palestinian homes, orchards and gardens in Ein al-Duyuk, on the southwestern edge of Jericho in the occupied West Bank, since July 19. Israeli soldiers have escorted the excavators, while residents say they have not been shown an official order authorising the work.
The activity was described by Israeli authorities as clearing building waste from earlier demolitions. But residents, activists and a Palestinian lawyer say the work has gone beyond rubble removal, including the destruction of additional property and the burial of debris inside the neighbourhood.
What residents say happened
The latest operation followed a February 10 settler attack in which residents said homes were demolished or damaged, people were attacked and property was taken. Thirteen houses in a nearby Bedouin compound were demolished, according to resident Ali Kaabneh, while three homes in the neighbouring Palestinian community were destroyed, according to longtime resident Hussein Taha.
When the excavators returned on July 19, Taha said four homes were damaged or destroyed on the first day. Residents and activists later reported further damage to houses, alleys, trees, orchards and gardens. Piles of rubble were placed in front of some homes, leaving Mohammad Salah unable to use the normal entrance to his house. He moved his wife and four children to a rented apartment in Bethlehem because the family feared further attacks and could not safely reach their home.
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What the state filing says
A filing submitted by the Israeli state on July 30 described an arrangement that began before the February attack. It said Hanan Herbst, who operates the settler outpost known as Armonot Farm, reached a March 2025 agreement with the Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization to cultivate land classified as state land for agriculture.
According to the filing, the Binyamin Regional Council asked the Civil Administration in May to allow Herbst to remove building waste from earlier demolitions. The Civil Administration approved the request, and Jordan Valley Brigade commander Colonel Gilad Shriki approved a military escort. The state said Herbst was instructed not to damage structures or trees and to remain within the allocated area; residents and activists say those conditions have been repeatedly breached.
The filing also said at least some Palestinian homes were protected by a longstanding Israeli court injunction. Lawyer Tawfiq Jabareen told Al Jazeera that the military and Civil Administration had effectively used a settler to carry out demolitions barred by court orders. These are his allegations about the authorities’ conduct, not a judicial finding.
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How the dispute developed
Herbst’s outpost was built without authorisation in 2024 but was formally recognised by the Israeli cabinet at the end of March under the name Daya. The neighbourhood lies near the ruins of Hasmonean and Herodian winter palaces, an archaeological site designated by Israel for a planned network of heritage parks.
In March, the Israeli military also issued a seizure order for a strip of Palestinian land intended for an access route to the archaeological site. Affected residents received the order weeks after it was issued, according to the source.
Jabareen filed an emergency injunction at Israel’s High Court on July 23 and renewed it on July 29 as the demolitions intensified. Activists attempting to document the work said soldiers kept them away by citing an ambiguous closed zone, and some were arrested. The state’s account indicated that Herbst could begin cultivating the cleared land shortly after the filing, although residents and activists said no map or boundary for the allocation had been shown to them.
What remains unresolved
The Israeli authorities did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment. Herbst ended a phone call after being told the inquiry was from Al Jazeera and did not respond to further attempts to reach him.
Residents are seeking access to their homes and protection for property that they say remains covered by court orders. Salah said his wife and children want to return to their home, while he continues visiting the damaged property when he can.
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