In a raid Thursday morning on the Ramallah-area village of Deir Abu Mashaal in the central occupied West Bank, Israeli forces blew up the home of slain Palestinian Adel Hassan Ahmad Ankoush, who was killed by Israeli forces in June along with two other Palestinians after the three carried out a deadly shooting and stabbing attack in occupied East Jerusalem that left an Israeli border police officer dead.
Israeli forces raided Ankoush’s family home and set up explosives around the house, as other forces surrounded Deir Abu Mashaal and deployed across all entrances to the village, while drones hovered overhead.
According to locals, a fire erupted after the army set off the explosives, after which time Palestinian Civil Defense firefighters arrived on the scene to put out the fire.
Israel:The Zionists regime occupying forces have blown up the family home of a slain Palestinian in the village of Deir Abu Mishal17-08-2017 pic.twitter.com/RNW1eLY907
— Darl van Dijk (@Lastcombo) August 17, 2017
Following the home demolition, clashes erupted in the village between Palestinian youth and Israeli forces.
An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that “overnight, security forces demolished the residence of one of the terrorists who committed a fatal shooting attack at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on June 16, killing one Israeli border police officer.”
Ankoush’s home was sealed by Israeli forces last week, while the homes of Baraa Ibrahim Saleh, 18, and Osama Ahmad Atta, 19, who allegedly committed the attack along with Ankoush, were demolished.
Video: Israel demolishes Palestinian homes in Issawiya neighborhood in East Jerusalem https://t.co/X1HGSynzG1 pic.twitter.com/42Pd6dpaaF
— The IMEU (@theIMEU) August 17, 2017
According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, a total of 22 people, the three mens’ family members, have been left homeless by the punitive demolitions in spite of not having been charged with any wrongdoing.
Isareli rights group, B’Tselem has condemned the practice of punitive home demolitions as “court-sanctioned revenge” carried out on family members who have not committed crimes, amounting to collective punishment.
(Maan, PC, Social Media)
