Elderly Palestinian dies after Israeli soldiers assault him during home demolition
An elderly Palestinian man died of a heart attack after being assaulted by Israeli soldiers during a home demolition on Tuesday near Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
Ghazi Bader Manasra, 71, was reportedly "brutally" treated by Israeli forces during the demolition in the village of Wadi Fukin, according to his family, who hold the Israeli military responsible for his death.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli soldiers used batons and rifles to assault residents during the demolition. Six people were wounded with bruises and scratches. Among them was Manasra, who suffered a stroke and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A video clip circulating online shows Israeli soldiers beating a group of Palestinians as they attempted to prevent the demolition.
Hamam Manasra, Ghazi’s son, told Middle East Eye that he was on his way to work around 7am (5am GMT) when his brother called to inform him that Israeli military vehicles were surrounding the home of their relative, Muhammad Manasra, in preparation for its demolition.
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About an hour later, he received another call from his brother saying their father had been assaulted by soldiers and taken to the hospital. He died shortly afterwards of a heart attack following the assault.
“When the Israeli bulldozers arrived to begin the demolition, several family members tried to resist with their bare hands,” Hamam told MEE.
“The soldiers began beating and assaulting them, including my father.”
'I thought one of my cousins had died from the severity of the beating he received'
- Muhammad Manasra, owner of demolished home
Six family members were wounded, three of whom had to stay overnight at the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation due to fractures and bruises resulting from the attack.
Hammam explained that his father had no prior health issues, emphasising that the shock of the demolition and the soldiers’ brutal behaviour were the primary causes of his death. He held Israel fully responsible for the incident.
“The demolished house belonged to my father's cousin, a close relative. My father and brothers rushed out in an attempt to stop the soldiers, driven by a deep sense of injustice,” Hammam said.
According to him, Ghazi was beaten on the chest, head and legs in an attempt to force him to leave the scene. After stepping back slightly, he sat on a chair to watch the demolition. Shortly afterwards, he suffered a severe heart attack and died.
Demolitions and land grab
The Israeli military said the house demolished in the village was located in Area C and unlicensed. Another neighbouring house was destroyed under the same pretext.
Israeli forces routinely demolish Palestinian structures in the West Bank, citing a “lack of proper permits” - despite rejecting the vast majority of permit applications submitted by Palestinians.
Muhammad told MEE that he received a stop-work order at the outset of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, even though his house was already built and ready for occupancy.
Fearing it would be demolished, he and his family chose not to move in.
“My house is 265 sqm,” he said. “Since receiving the notice, I’ve been pursuing a case with the Israeli Supreme Court in an attempt to freeze the demolition order so I could live there with my family of five. But they demolished it anyway.”
During the demolition, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at civilians who had gathered to protest, whether by chanting or simply by being present. Witnesses reported that soldiers forcibly dispersed the crowd, pushing and assaulting several individuals.
“I thought one of my cousins had died from the severity of the beating he received,” Muhammad recounted.
“My elderly cousin, who later passed away, went into shock at the sight of the demolition. Soldiers pushed and beat him, and as he watched from a distance while my house was reduced to rubble, he suffered a stroke.”
The demolished property was located in the centre of the village, relatively far from its outskirts. According to Muhammad, the demolition was carried out with malicious intent.
“This was not a security matter; it was political,” he said. “The aim is to drive Palestinians from their land. I still live in the family home, but it’s no longer large enough for all of us, which is why I built this house.”
He added that the division of the land into administrative zones - Areas B and C - was being exploited to strip Palestinians of ownership.
“My house is just a few metres from my uncle’s, yet each falls under a different classification. Israel is dividing the land however it pleases, simply to seize it.”
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