‘I liked the house’: When Israeli soldiers turn Palestinian homes into barracks
Israeli occupation soldiers in a Palestinian home in the West Bank
Fayha Shalash reports in The Palestine Chronicle on 13 March 2026:
Iyad Dawabsheh was taken by surprise when Israeli soldiers carried out a large-scale raid on his home on Tuesday. Without offering any explanation, they informed him that they intended to occupy the house for two full days.
The house, located in the town of Duma, south of Nablus, is home to a family of nine. Yet this did not stop the soldiers from ordering the family to leave their warm home so it could be turned into a military barracks.
In recent weeks, Israel has intensified the illegal seizure of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, converting them into temporary military barracks and, in some cases, field interrogation centers for detainees. Israel claims such actions are necessary for security during the current escalation with Iran. In reality, Palestinian families are forced from their homes into the bitter cold and darkness of night, often without shelter or any indication of when they will be allowed to return.
There are no precise statistics on the number of homes occupied in this manner. The practice occurs almost daily, and the occupations are typically temporary, lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days.
A similar pattern was documented during the previous escalation with Iran in June 2025. Between June 13 and June 23, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded at least 32 incidents in which Israeli soldiers seized approximately 243 Palestinian homes—whether inhabited or not—as well as the roof of a school. These seizures lasted from several hours to several days.