Israeli army demolishes Khirbet a-Taban in West Bank’s Masafer Yatta

On September 2, 2026, Israel’s army demolished all 12 buildings in Khirbet a-Taban in Masafer Yatta, an occupied West Bank area declared a military firing zone in the 1980s, leaving 70 residents homeless in tents. About 1,200 Palestinians across 12 villages there have faced uncertainty since the 1980s; the Supreme Court upheld the army’s claim in 2022. Demolitions and settler harassment have risen since the October 7 Hamas attack.