‘Capital Shield’ as a Tool of Demolition, Forced Displacement and Ethnic Cleansing in Support of Settlement Projects

By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The ‘National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that last week, the Israeli occupation authorities launched a large-scale demolition campaign, dubbed ‘Capital Shield’, in Kafr Aqab, Jerusalem. The campaign carried out under what the occupation described as security and legal justifications, appears to serve broader settlement expansion objectives. According to a statement by the Israeli police, the campaign began on 26 January, involving 100s of police and army personnel in cooperation with the Moshe Lion’s municipality. It stated that the campaign aimed to ‘strengthen sovereignty in the seam zone and enhance the sense of security in public spaces’.
It involved demolishing dozens of Palestinian buildings in the Kafr Aqab town, claiming they were ‘illegal and posed a security threat’. The town falls within the boundaries of the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality and is home to tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of whom hold Jerusalem residency permits. Despite being effectively separated from East Jerusalem by the separation wall and the Qalandia Military Checkpoint, the town has been subjected to neglect and restrictions before being subjected to demolition and by fore imposition of de-facto on the ground.
Simultaneously, Israeli occupation forces began bulldozing operations in the Airport Road area, adjacent to the Apartheid Wall, where everything within 5 meters of the wall is being demolished, while nearby homes are being served with demolition orders, and shops are being ordered to evacuate in preparation for their demolition. The demolitions have affected 58 structures, including shops, a laundry, a gas station, stalls, sheds, and residential annexes.
Moreover, residential buildings near the wall were raided, with soldiers occupying their rooftops and deploying snipers – an unprecedented scene in terms of scale and danger. The occupation authorities claim the operation aims to prevent Palestinians from ‘infiltrating Jerusalem’ through the wall, but the real objective is to prepare the area for the construction of the Israeli settlement currently underway on the land of Qalandia Airport.
Maroof Al-Rifai, the Jerusalem Governor s Advisor commented on those measures, stating that the occupation s claims regarding ‘encroachments and chaos’ are nothing more than pretexts, pointed out that Israel has previously announced plans to build about 9,000 settlement units on the land of Jerusalem International Airport, in addition to confiscating 350 dunams of land in the village of Qalandiya to expand the Atarot Industrial Zone and establish a waste recycling plant.
Adding that what is happening in Kafr Aqab is part of a comprehensive process of preparing the area to facilitate the completion of these settlement projects. The campaign came amidst repeated incursions into areas north of occupied Jerusalem, particularly around the Qalandia Refugee Camp, involving road closures and raids on homes and businesses, which -dir-ectly impacts the daily lives of Palestinians and deepens the policy of restriction and pressure aimed at altering the demographic reality of the city and the region.
Indeed, the actions being taken on the ground clearly demonstrate that one of the primary objectives of these operations is to establish the ‘final borders’ of Jerusalem by annexing as many settlements and settlers as possible, controlling the widest possible geographical area, and excluding the largest possible number of Jerusalemites from the city’s demographic and political equation.
That can be achieved through destructive operations that initially focused on Kafr Aqab and Qalandia Refugee Camp, and later Shuafat Refugee Camp ‘including the demolition of the UNRWA headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood on 20 January, extending to the Qalandia Airport area within the Apartheid Wall, and to Kafr Aqab and Hizma outside it. Thus, in just two days, more than 40 properties were demolished in the vicinity of Qalandia Airport, and more than 70 properties in the 3 areas combined, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.
For years, the occupation authorities have deliberately allowed Kafr Aqab to become a haven for Palestinian construction in Jerusalem, completely ignoring the urban chaos, with the aim of transforming it into a population center before its final separation from Jerusalem. Thus, Kafr Aqab has indeed turned into a very overcrowded area with weak infrastructure, mired in many problems, to the point that the people of Jerusalem have begun to give it sarcastic names, such as, ‘Kafr Ajab and Kafr Ghadab’. Today, the occupation is completing such path with security campaigns and demolition operations that are re-engineering the place according to its needs.
In view of this, it became clear that Operation ‘Capital Shield’ represents the practical application of the ‘Greater Jerusalem plan’, which, according to the Israeli vision, extends from the Gush Etzion bloc south to Qalandia Airport, and from Ma ale Adumim east to Modi in. Thes plan includes a network of tunnels and light rail lines connecting the settlements, transforming Palestinian neighborhoods into isolated enclaves within a continuous settlement belt.
It also aimed to reduce the percentage of Palestinians in Jerusalem from 40% currently to only 10% through settlement expansion, demolition policies, displacement, and ethnic cleansing. This is further reinforced by the fact that the Israeli Planning and Building Committee announced at the end of last year its approval of 3 major settlement projects on the land of Qalandia Airport, north of occupied Jerusalem. This is a new step to consolidate settlements, strengthen Israeli control over the area, and meet the growing demand for electricity in the settlements established in occupied Jerusalem and the Ramallah area.
The Israeli Army Radio reported last week that among the settlement projects planned is the Atarot power plant, owned by Egged Properties and controlled by the Keystone Fund, with a production capacity of about 900 megawatts. Located within the Atarot Industrial Settlement Zone, the plant will include several facilities, such as an electric bus charging yard, a waste treatment plant, and a gas liquefaction plant, transforming the site into a regional hub for settlement infrastructure.
Moreover, last Sunday the occupation authorities notified residents of the immediate demolition of 14 homes in the Al-Bustan Neighborhood of Silwan, which brings the total number of homes demolished over the past 2 years to 35 under various pretexts including construction without a permit. It represents a new escalation in the policy targeting the Palestinian presence specifically in the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The homes threatened with demolition house Jerusalemite families comprising about 120 Palestinian residents whose land and homes, some decades old, have been encroached upon by the occupation authorities. It is part of a series of measures targeting the neighborhood.
Last January, the occupation municipality notified residents of its intention to confiscate 5.7 dunams of land, in addition to 1 dunam and 100 meters, under the pretext of implementing ‘landscape and parking projects’ on land it claimed was vacant, despite the fact that it belongs to Jerusalemite homes that were demolished during the previous year. Today, 1,500 Jerusalem residents live in the Al-Bustan neighborhood in about 120 homes, facing a systematic attack in the form of a -dir-ect threat of demolition, as about 80% of the neighborhood s homes are subject to demolition orders under what is known as the ‘Kaminetz Law’.
The policy of demolishing Palestinian homes and structures and issuing demolition orders was not-limit-ed last week to Kafr Aqab, Silwan, Jabal al-Mukabber, and Hizma in and around Jerusalem, but extended across the West Bank to a number of towns and villages in the Palestinian countryside. This began with Sha ab-Bannar, west of Tarqumia, Hebron, and continued through Kafr-Dik, Salfeet, Qaffin, Tulkarm, Kafr Thulth, Qalqilia, and ended with a Bedouin community in the Khala il area of Aal-Mughayyir village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate.
In the village, the occupation authorities issued a military order for the forced displacement of the residents of the Abu Najeh-Ka abneh Community in the Khala il area, south of Mughayyir, east of Ramallah. At the same time, they arrested three foreigners who came to show solidarity with the residents of the aforementioned community, followed by the displacement of the last families from the Shalla -Auja Community in the Jericho Governorate last Saturday, when the last 3 remaining families were expelled, thus completing the displacement of 120 Palestinian families.
In Jerusalem, Israel has also decided to complete the settlement and registration of all Palestinian land by the end of 2029. The decision, according to a statement issued last Tuesday by the Israeli human rights organization Ir Amim, will lead to the displacement of Palestinian communities and the widespread loss of Palestinian land and homes. Government Resolution No. 3792 allocates new budgets, adds positions and human resources, and expands cooperation between the Land Registration and Settlement Department in the Ministry of Justice and the Custodian of Absentee Property, a central body responsible for transferring Palestinian land to state ownership.
The human rights organization noted that this is the first time the Israeli government has made a decision entirely dedicated to land settlement in East Jerusalem, with the stated goal of registering 100% of Palestinian land in the city within four years. This process allows the occupying power to definitively determine the legal owner of the land and register rights in the land registry ‘Tabo’. This measure is not merely technical´-or-legal-;- it is part of a broader system designed to impose complete Israeli control over the land, uprooting Palestinians from their homes and diminishing their ability to defend their rights.
This is particularly concerning given that Palestinians submitting ownership claims within the settlement process are subject to scrutiny by the Custodian of Absentee Property, who has the authority to declare the owner ‘absent’ and transfer the land to state ownership. This scheme is advancing during an election year in Israel, coinciding with additional steps promoted by the government, led by Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in the West Bank as well. Those steps include expanding land registration procedures and strengthening the role of the Custodian of Absentee Property, which is under Smotrich s authority. If implemented, the plan could lead to widespread loss of Palestinian land.
In a new settlement expansion, the so-called Ministry of Construction and Housing in the occupation government announced the signing of an agreement to build 2,780 settlement units to expand the ‘Adam settlement’ north of occupied Jerusalem. The agreement includes allocating NIS 120 million to projects aimed at establishing nearly 2,780 new settlement units. The agreement also includes the implementation of extensive settlement works, including the construction of settlement roads and connecting the settlement to infrastructure networks dedicated exclusively to serving settlers, thus reinforcing Israeli control and entrenching the seizure of Palestinian land.
Details of the plan indicate that the first phase has already included marketing 500 settlement units, while expansion will continue in multiple stages. Those stages include expanding water and sewage networks and constructing closed settlement facilities, including sports complexes, parks, and recreational areas, built on confiscated Palestinian land, with additional budgets estimated at tens of millions of shekels.
The Israeli Army Minister, Yisrael Katz announced his government s intention to legalize more than 140 settlement outposts and farms in the West Bank. In a video message during a ceremony honoring activists from outposts affiliated with the Central West Bank Settlements Council, he stated that the move is part of strengthening settlements and undermining Palestinian attempts to settle in the area, adding that the plan coincides with the ongoing development of infrastructure and the paving of new roads to serve settlers.
He pledged continued support for pastoral farms and settlements, noting that the outposts and farms were established by settlers without authorization from the authorities´-or-coordination with settlement councils, yet they receive protection from the army and police and basic services, such as, electricity and water. Legalizing them, he said, would grant them special budgets and allow for the establishment of medical centers, schools, and kindergartens. Katz described the outposts as an extension of the Zionist movement and a reflection of the connection to the land, boasting that anyone who wants to see the true meaning of Zionism will find it in the settlement farms of the West Bank. He also pointed to the role of the farms in ‘achieving regional security for the settlers’.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Forcing Yasser Maher Da’na to demolish his house forcibly in the Al-Sal’a Neighborhood in Jabal Al-Mukabber under the pretext of building without a permit, and Mohammad Atiya Al-Razem to demolish his house forcibly in the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood in the Silwan town, under the same pretext, knowing that the houses have been standing for 26 years.
- Handing over Salah and Na’im Maragha partial evacuation orders for their homes in the Batn Al-Hawa Neighborhood, including the part threatened with evacuation and the family’s parking lot, under the pretext that the land has been owned by Jews since 1881. The Enforcement Department gave the family 21 days to implement the evacuation order, after the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the appeal submitted by the family last week.
- Blocking some -dir-t roads leading to the Bedouin communities to restrict the movement of residents, an extension of a series of previous attacks that included the burning of homes and vehicles in the same area in recent days.
- Storming the Silwan town, demolished 6 shops and a horse stable belonging to Adel al-Jahalin in the Wadi area.
Hebron:
- Seizing hundreds of dunams of land in the Al-Dhahiria town, south of Hebron, belonging to the Abu Sharikh, Al-Qaysiya, Abu Allan, and other families, in preparation for establishing new settlement outposts. It is noted that the occupation government announced its intention to establish two settlement outposts on these lands adjacent to the bypass road leading to the ‘Meitar crossing’, which separates the town of Al-Dhahiriya from the 1948 territories.
- Demolishing a three-story house belonging to citizen Bassam Fathi Al-Ja afra in the Sha ab Al-Bir area of Tarqumiya.
- Uprooting about 30 olive trees in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, belonging to citizen Mohammad Musa Shanaran, and destroyed agricultural crops, including wheat. They also attacked the house of citizen Yusuf Musa Shanaran in the Wadi Al-Rakheem area, breaking windows and causing material damage to property.
- Attacking the homes of citizens from the Al-Daghameen family in Khirbet Al-Kharaba, southeast of As-Samu , injured Munee Al-Daghameen and the young man Uday Al-Daghameen, as well as a woman who fainted after being sprayed with pepper spray. Then transferred to Yatta Governmental Hospital for treatment. In Masafer Yatta,
- Cutting down more than 70 olive trees and dozens of forest trees in the Masafer Yatta, and destroyed a fence surrounding land belonging to citizen Zuhair Fensha. They also wrote racist slogans and phrases against the residents.
Bethlehem:
- Uprooting about 200 mature grapevines in the Al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, in the Um Rukba area’, belonging to Mohammad Gharib and Hassan Salah, who had been previously notified of the confiscation of their land for settlement purposes.
- Attacking Zakaria Warad in the southeastern part of the village of Kisan. The attack included bringing flocks of sheep to the vicinity of his home and damaging his property, as part of intimidation tactics aimed at pressuring residents and forcing them to leave.
Ramallah:
- Seizing an agricultural room belonging to a Palestinian resident in the Al-Khalil area south of Al-Mughayyir, while others burned trees after vandalizing them in the eastern plain of Turmusaya.
- Attacking Palestinian vehicles in Al-Mazra a Al-Sharqiya.
- Gathering near the Jaljulia Gate north of Ramallah in the Al-Batin area, sparking clashes after settlers stormed the area. The clashes included live fire -dir-ected at a house, the destruction of solar panels, and the theft of security cameras.
- Injuring farmer Abdul Rahim Khaled Ma tan in a settler attack on the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, attacked the village, detained Ma tan, assaulted him, inflicting bruises, and attempted to steal his sheep. The attack came hours after settler groups burned two vehicles and spray-painted racist slogans during an attack on the village of Al-Taybeh, causing significant material damage.
- Uprooting a number of trees as part of settlement expansion activities near the entrance to the Ras Karkar village.
Nablus:
- Attacking a house in the Ras al-Ain area, west of the Qusra town, before residents confronted them.
- Damaging crops and stole fencing in the plains of Masoudiya, near the Burqa town.
- Storming the village of Burin, cut down and vandalized scores of olive saplings on residents land. They also deliberately threw pieces of iron and nails into the surrounding roads and farmland to puncture the tires of passing vehicles and prevent residents from accessing their land.
- Storming Khirbet-Marajem area, near the Duma town, performed Talmudic rituals and conducted provocative tours of the area.
- Storming the Jalod village, broke the door of a house and stole all its contents before withdrawing towards the surrounding settlement outposts.
Salfeet:
- Bulldozing areas of Palestinian-owned land in the Dhahr Subh area, north of Kafr Ad-Dik, causing extensive damage to agricultural land. This action is a continuation of the policy of land confiscation and settlement expansion in the area.
- Handing over a stop-work order for an agricultural structure to Ayman ad-Dik, a resident of the Khallat Al-Haramiya area.
Qalqilia:
- Attacking the home of Hijazi Yamin on the eastern outskirts of Far ata village, east of Qalqilia, with stones and prevented his family from leaving´-or-even moving about, claiming they needed to graze their sheep in the area.
- Forcing Kamal Saeed Shawahneh, from the Kafr Thulth town to demolish his 300m2 factory located east of the town. The demolition caused him financial losses estimated at over NIS 80,000, under the pretext of building without a permit.
Jordan Valley:
- Displacing residents from the Shallah al-Auja Community north of Jericho, with the last three families forced from their homes after years of settler violence and intimidation. Now resulted in the complete displacement of about 120 families.
- Attacking the Khirbet Al-Malih School in the northern Jordan Valley, broke down the administration door and disrupted the work of the teaching staff, attempted to prevent them from beginning the regular educational program.
- Assaulting residents tents in Hammamat Al-Malih in the northern Jordan Valley, attempted to steal their livestock from their pens. Shepherds in Khirbet Samra were also attacked and forced to leave their grazing lands, while others released their cattle into wheat and barley fields in Khirbet Samra to destroy the crops.
- Demolishing the Al-Tahadi School in the village of Bziq, near Tubas.

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