The Israeli state, like all other settler-colonial regimes — New Zealand, Canada, the United States — was created and advanced by the elimination of the indigenous communities. The Israeli genocide in Gaza is not an aberration of the Israeli state, but an essential feature of the structures of zionism. Any cursory glance at the history of the formation of the Israeli state and the mechanisms built to eliminate the native population affirm this fact: the Israeli state can only exist at the expense of the Palestinian population. Israel's policy of systematically destroying Palestinian homes is a central tactic to the overarching project of displacing local communities and consolidating them into ethnic enclaves. The data below only represents events in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and doesn't include the mass demolitions across Gaza or the Palestinian communities within the land occupied in 1948.

The data outlines that the last 365 days show a SMALL downward trend in demolitions and displacement. However, this decline must be situated properly. First, demolitions require a military presence. With the Israeli army spread thin, there isn't enough personnel to mobilize to supervise the demolition of the thousands of homes and buildings that have pending demolition orders. Secondly, the demolition of Palestinian homes is situated within a cycle: Settlement expansions are planned on Palestinian lands, and then indigenous communities are eliminated and forcibly displaced.

Significant moves have been made in the development of settlement plans. The recent series of developments monitored by Settlement Watch indicates significant expansion and regulatory changes in Israeli settlement policies, particularly impacting Palestinian communities.

Expansion of Ariel Industrial Zone and New Settlements: On April 8, 2024, it was reported that the Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration plans to discuss 26 construction plans in settlements, most involving minor changes. However, one significant plan (No. 130/T/6/11) involves expanding the Ariel industrial area by 324 dunams eastward. This expansion, coupled with the new settlement of Ariel West, threatens to create a continuous stretch of settlements, effectively blocking development for nearby Palestinian communities, including Salfit, Harres, and Kifl Harres, thereby isolating Salfit from its surrounding villages.

Designation of Locality Symbols: Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the assignment of "locality symbols" to four new settlements: Mishmar Yehuda, Beit Hogla, Shacharit, and Asa’el. “Locality Symbols” designate outposts that are in the process of becoming recognized settlements. This bureaucratic step, essential for government funding and resource allocation, reflects the government’s broader initiative from February 2023 to establish nine new settlements. This development has begun to take shape, with the military’s Central Command defining jurisdictional areas for most of these settlements.

Judicial Decisions on Palestinian Evictions: The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court and the Israeli Supreme Court have issued rulings leading to the eviction of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah and Batan Al-Hawa, respectively. These decisions are part of ongoing legal battles that have fueled tensions and conflict, notably leading to state violence and popular resistance across Palestine in May 2021.

Governmental Regulatory Changes: Significant regulatory changes were made when the authority over the Real Estate Enforcement Division was transferred from the Finance Ministry to the Ministry of National Security, now overseen by Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. This division, which plays a crucial role in enforcing construction regulations, including demolitions in East Jerusalem, is expected to become more aggressive under Ben Gvir’s management. This move is set to super-charge Zionist settlement across Jerusalem and the designed displacement of Palestinians. These developments indicate a strategic consolidation of territorial and administrative control over Palestinian lands.

Notes

This data only reflects administrative home demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. This doesn't include the mass demolitions of homes in the Gaza Strip, or in places like the Naqab or the Galilee

Gaza Data

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 34,346 Palestinians across Gaza and the West Bank. During its campaign to ethnically cleanse Gaza, through indiscriminate bombings, some 81,509 individuals have been injured. Tragically, the violence has disproportionately affected the most vulnerable, with 14,672 children reported killed. Women, who also represent the caretakers of the family structure, have also been severely impacted, as Zionist forces have killed some 9,582 women. At least 10,092 Palestinian men have been murdered as a result of this colonial genocide.

These numbers represent only the Palestinians whose death has been confirmed by hospitals in Gaza. Thousands of others remain under the rubble of buildings or on streets, unable to be recovered by their family or community due to Israel’s ongoing genocidal violence. It is not known exactly how much of an underestimate the official toll represents.

As genocide necessitates dismantling the healthcare and information systems that serve the community in critical roles, Israel has methodically targeted medical personnel, which provide essential care under challenging conditions, killing 485. The media community has also faced explicit targeting, with at least 140 journalists killed while attempting to report on the situation. Additionally, 66 emergency personnel have lost their lives in the line of duty, highlighting the imperiled nature of their work.

Critical resources

Here are some educational materials that you can read in your leisure time or listen to while traveling that further illuminate facts from the ground and decolonial analysis.

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism: Palestine and the Problem of Narrative with The Good Shepherd Collective

Louis Allday discusses Liberated Texts and the work that is done within that project, as well as the recently released special edition of Ebb Magazine, For Palestine.

Dr Max Ajl and Dr Corinna Mullin lecture on Israeli settler- colonialism Mondoweiss’s update on Palestinian Prisoner Day On Palestinian Prisoners’ Day

Ghiba AbiI-Ghannam reviews martyr Walid Daqqa’s “Searing Consciousness (Or on Redefining Torture)” his study of Israel’s psychological war on Palestinian prisoners as a microcosm of its war against the Palestinian people as a whole.

Support the work

The Good Shepherd Collective has been building information systems to aggregate and distribute these essential data points. Our email goes out to over 30,000 recipients. We're building a website to serve as a central repository for this information, organizing data points for people to access and utilize in their advocacy easily. Data is an incredibly valuable tool to better understand the situation on the ground, and must be used to inform and articulate a vision of decolonization and accountability.

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