Two Palestinians killed as Israeli forces destroy family home

Two Palestinians were killed and another critically hurt during fierce clashes that broke out during an operation by Israeli forces to destroy a Palestinian home in the Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem.

In an effort to deter militant attacks after more than a month of almost daily violence, centred in the West Bank, Israel recently re-introduced the policy of destroying the family homes of Palestinians convicted of carrying out attacks.

The Qalandia raid followed a series of demolitions carried out in various West Bank locations over recent days after Israel’s high court last week rejected petitions against the punitive action.

The new policy was condemned by the Palestinian leadership and Israeli human rights groups as a form of collective punishment. HaMoked, an Israeli human rights group, told the high court that "the proximity between the demolition order's issuance date and the recent wave of attacks, reinforces the impression that this is not a deterrence measure, but a vindictive indiscriminate response"

According to the Israeli military, soldiers came under fire while razing the Qalandia home of Muhammad Abu Shaheen, who Israeli officials say shot and killed Jewish settler Danny Gonen in June in the West Bank.

One-hour firefight

Defence minister Moshe Ya’alon defended the actions of the soldiers during the one-hour firefight. “The force reacted with professionalism, destroying the house and returning fire at those shooting at it. They left the scene without casualties to themselves.”

Hundreds of residents of the camp came on to the streets, throwing petrol bombs and stones, before the troops departed. Dozens of people were hurt.

Thousands of Palestinians joined the procession yesterday from Ramallah to the Qalandia camp for the joint funeral. Armed fighters from the al-Aqsa martyrs’ brigades, linked to president Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah, with which one of those killed was affiliated, joined the crowd.

Deterrence debate

The debate continues in Israel over whether or not demolishing the homes of convicted militants acts as a deterrence.

On Sunday, a Palestinian man suspected of carrying out a shooting against Israelis in the West Bank, was handed over to the Israeli army by his father and brother, who hoped their action would prevent the demolition of their family home.

Shadi Ahmed Matua (28), a resident of the West Bank city of Hebron, described by Israel as an Islamic Jihad activist, is suspected of shooting Rabbi Yaakov Litman (40) and his son Netanel Litman (18) as they drove in a van with five other members of their family in the West Bank on Friday.

The Israel Security Agency said that Mr Matua had admitted his involvement in the shooting and that the weapon and the car he used in the attack had been found.