Israeli authorities reached a significant enforcement milestone yesterday with the demolition of the 10,000th illegal structure since the beginning of 2024, according to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's office.
The demolition that marked the threshold took place in the Jawarish neighborhood of Ramla, a mixed Jewish-Arab city in central Israel.
Since early 2024, enforcement teams have demolished 10,000 unauthorized buildings across the country, particularly concentrated in the Negev desert region in southern Israel. Of that total, approximately 6,000 demolitions occurred in the past year alone. According to the minister's office, the enforcement campaign has reclaimed state land equivalent in area to the combined size of Tel Aviv and Givatayim.
Ben-Gvir visited the Jawarish neighborhood yesterday morning to observe the enforcement operation firsthand. "We have reached a significant milestone, the 10,000th illegal structure demolished since the beginning of 2024," he stated. "In the past year alone, we demolished nearly 6,000 illegal buildings."
The minister characterized the policy as a departure from previous approaches. "In the past, they were afraid to deal with illegal construction, afraid to confront crime families, and preferred to abandon state lands," he said. "But I did not give up and will not give up. I am announcing from here to all offenders: we will continue to demolish every illegal structure. Your only way to prevent demolition is to demolish it yourselves, before our government bulldozers do it."
