Israeli bulldozers entered Barta’a to execute the demolition order issued a day earlier, according to the Palestine News Agency. Residents said only eight families managed to remove their belongings before the operation began, while others refused to evacuate their possessions.

Witnesses said residents protested by climbing onto rooftops of the targeted homes in an attempt to prevent the demolitions. Israeli forces later removed the protesters before the buildings were razed.

The demolitions left about 100 Palestinians facing displacement, according to local reports.

The operation comes amid a prolonged Israeli military campaign in and around Jenin. Since launching operations in the city and its refugee camp in January 2025, Israeli forces have displaced more than 20,000 people and destroyed approximately 600 homes, most of them in the Jenin refugee camp.

Israel says structures built without the required permits are subject to demolition under planning and zoning regulations in the occupied territory.

Palestinians and rights groups have long criticized the permit system, arguing that obtaining construction approvals is extremely difficult and that demolitions contribute to displacement and territorial fragmentation in the West Bank.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. Israeli settlement expansion, military operations and demolitions remain central points of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel is facing legal proceedings at both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice relating to its actions in the Palestinian territories. Israel rejects allegations of war crimes and genocide and has challenged the legitimacy of the cases.

Speaking during a visit on Monday to Palestinian villages in the West Bank alongside former senior Israeli officials including Matan Vilnai and Amram Mitzna, Pardo said the conditions he witnessed reminded him of historic persecution faced by Jews in Europe and left him feeling “ashamed to be Jewish,” according to remarks carried by Israel’s Channel 13.

Pardo said Israeli authorities were fully aware of settler attacks on Palestinian residents but had chosen not to intervene, describing the trend as a moral and strategic danger for the country.

He warned that confronting radical settlers, some of whom he said were armed and enjoyed political backing, could trigger internal instability and deepen divisions inside Israel.Pardo specifically pointed to the influence of far-right cabinet ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have supported stronger Israeli control over the West Bank and expansion of settlements.

Violence across the occupied territory has intensified in recent months, with Palestinian communities reporting repeated attacks, destruction of homes and farmland, and forced displacement.The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and has repeatedly called for a halt to settlement expansion, a position Israel disputes.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said annexation of parts of the West Bank was not currently being pursued, citing opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump.However, Saar said Israel remained opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and would continue to strengthen its presence in the territory, a position that has further strained relations with the European Union and drawn criticism from rights groups and international partners.

The West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, remains one of the central flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with rising tensions fueling fears of broader regional instability.