Israeli Forces Demolish Palestinian Christian Home in West Bank, Illegal Settlers Displace Another Family

Israeli forces demolished the home of a Palestinian Christian family in the al-Saqi area of Birzeit, north of Ramallah, according to the Presidential Higher Committee for Church Affairs. The committee stated that Israeli occupation forces also razed agricultural land belonging to the Abed family. In a separate incident, the Christian family of Bashir Naim Kouna was displaced from their home in Taybeh, east of Ramallah, after facing persistent threats and attacks by illegal Israeli settlers.

The Abed family had spent seven years building and furnishing their home, which they moved into just a week prior, according to the Al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights. The committee described these actions as violations of international law and part of a broader policy aimed at seizing Palestinian land and expanding illegal settlements through force. It emphasized that attacks on Palestinian Christians are not isolated but part of a systematic effort to undermine the entire Palestinian presence.

The committee highlighted that Christians are an integral part of the Palestinian people, history, and identity. It called for the international community to halt these violations and hold those responsible accountable. The committee noted that such actions continue across the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, Masafer Yatta, the Jordan Valley, and several governorates.

Taybeh remains the only Palestinian town with an entirely Christian population. The committee warned that Israeli attacks on Christian communities are threatening their presence in Palestine. It described the assaults as part of an ongoing pattern involving settler violence, land confiscation, illegal settlement expansion, and restrictions on freedom of worship.

The committee also expressed concern over the declining population of Taybeh, noting that growing numbers of Christian families have been forced to leave Palestine since 2023. These developments underscore the urgent need for international attention and action to protect the rights and security of all communities in the region.

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