OCCUPIED WEST BANK: Israeli forces have stormed towns and begun demolishing homes of Palestinian suspects in the wake of a deadly attack in occupied East Jerusalem, raising fears of further military and settler violence and collective punishment in the occupied West Bank as Israel relentlessly pounds the Gaza Strip.
Israel said on Tuesday that it surveyed and ordered the demolition of the homes of two Palestinians suspected of the shooting on Monday at Ramot Junction in occupied East Jerusalem, which killed six people and wounded 12. Both suspects were killed in the attack.
In a statement, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he also ordered sanctions to be imposed on the men’s family members as well as residents of their towns, Qatanna and Qubeiba, northwest of Jerusalem in the West Bank.
Those sanctions included the demolition of every structure built without permits in the towns and the revocation of 750 work permits and entry permits to Israel.
Israeli government ministers, including Katz and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, issued hardline statements in the wake of Monday’s attack, promising to demolish homes and deport the suspects’ family members.
While Israel says such actions are intended as a deterrent to future attacks, Palestinians and human rights groups say they amount to a form of collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.
Home demolished southwest of Hebron
During the crackdown in the West Bank on Tuesday, Israeli forces destroyed the home of another Palestinian suspected of having carried out a shooting in December.
Soldiers encircled the house of detainee Thabet Masalma in the town of Beit Awwa, southwest of Hebron, before blowing up the property with explosives.
The raid sparked clashes with locals, during which Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, wounding two people.
Masalma is accused of taking part in an attack that killed an Israeli settler and wounded three people.
The demolition left the detainee’s wife, parents and three children homeless.
The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has documented at least 26 home demolitions in the West Bank as a punitive measure in 2025. They have displaced more than 70 Palestinians, it said.
Agencies