Israeli security forces carried out overnight operations on Tuesday in the Binyamin region, demolishing structures at the Kol Mevaser homestead near Kochav Ya’akov and the Gur Aryeh homestead close to the town of Adam.
The two sites are located along a strategic ridge that, according to local residents, serves as a barrier to expansion from nearby Palestinian Authority villages and limits criminal activity, including alleged protection rackets linked to a neighboring Bedouin encampment.
The residents said enforcement measures in the area have intensified over the past month. They cited the declaration of several locations as closed military zones for a period of one year, nighttime demolitions, and what they described as repeated arrests and harassment from Israeli forces, including incidents that occurred on Shabbat.
“We are here in harsh weather, settling the land and contributing to the security of the area," residents said in a statement. “At the same time, there are elements within the system that are portraying us as lawbreakers rather than recognizing our role."