Israeli forces overnight Monday demolished the homes of two Palestinians who were fatally shot by Israeli police in December 2015 after they allegedly stabbed and killed two Israelis in Jerusalem.
The overnight demolitions took place in Qalandia refugee camp, between Jerusalem and Ramallah, with four Palestinians wounded in ensuing clashes.
WAFS correspondent said some 70 military vehicles broke into Qalandia refugee camp at midnight, before they razed the homes of Essa Assaf and Anan Abu Habsa, who were shot dead during a 23 December attack near Jerusalem’s Old City.
Violent clashes erupted in the aftermath of the Israeli raid in the camp, during which the Israeli forces used live fire, rubber-coated steel rounds and teargas to disperse the protesting youths. At least four of them were injured, while others also suffocated due to teargas inhalation.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the Israeli military targeted with gunfire two of its vehicles while attempting to evacuate the wounded from the scene of the clashes.
At least one Palestinian was detained following the Israeli campaign in the camp, while the Israeli military also briefly detained 10 other Palestinians from the camp after beating them up.
Israel resorts to punitively demolish the family homes of any Palestinians – as means of deterrence – accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not use against Israeli settlers who were involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.
B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, says: “The people who bear the brunt of the [punitive] demolitions are relatives – including women, the elderly, and children – whom Israel does not suspect of involvement in any offense.”
“In the vast majority of cases, the person whose actions prompted the demolition was not even living in the house at the time of the demolition,” adds the group.
“The official objective of the house demolition policy is deterrence yet the deterrent effect of house demolitions has never been proven.”
It said that, “Since this constitutes deliberate harm to innocents, it is clear that even if house demolition had the desired deterrent effect, it would, nevertheless, remain unlawful.”
Source: Wafa