Israeli Forces Blow up Home of Slain Palestinian in Jerusalem-Area Village

Jerusalem, MINA – Israeli forces Thursday morning blew up the family home of Nemer al-Jamal, who was killed by Israeli forces in September after he carried out a deadly shooting attack near the village that left three Israeli Border Guard Police officers dead.

Locals told WAFA that Israeli army raided al-Jamal’s hometown village of Beit Surik, to the northwest of Jerusalem, and blew his family’s home up after asking them and their neighbors to leave their homes during the blowup process.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fast-tracked punitive home demolitions in an effort to “deter” attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals since an increase in tension erupted across the occupied Palestinian territory in late 2015.

The demolitions were carried out despite past recommendations by an Israeli military committee that the practice did not deter attacks.

However, Israeli rights group B’Tselem has pointed out that even if the policy was proven to deter Palestinian attacks on Israelis, the policy would remain “unlawful,” as it “constitutes deliberate harm to innocents.” (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)