Israeli punitively demolishes Palestinian home in Jerusalem

 Bulldozers of the so-called Israeli West Jerusalem municipality Monday punitively demolished a Palestinian-owned home in Jabal al-Mukaber neighborhood to the southeast of Jerusalem.

Sources reported that large Israeli police reinforcements stormed the neighborhood, and imposed a tight military cordon around the house before demolishing it.

The house belongs to local Palestinian Mohammed Ja’abis; the brother of Isra’a Ja’abis, who is currently held in Israeli jails for her alleged partaking in a stabbing attempt against Israeli soldiers manning an Israeli military checkpoint near the east Jerusalem village of al-Zaeem.

Isra’a Ja’abis, a 31-years-old female from Jerusalem, was detained on October 10th, 2015, for allegedly “attempting to murder” Israeli soldiers, after a Gas cylinder detonated inside her car on that day.

The family of Ja’abis said that, at the time of the incident, Ja’abis was moving furniture in her private car to a new apartment. They said that she was also carrying a TV, a fact, which they said, the Israeli police failed to mention.

It should be noted that the explosion took place almost 500 meters away from the checkpoint.

Ja’abis suffered from first and three degree burns over 50% of her body, including the back, chest, hands, and face; which was distorted. Eight fingers were also mutilated by the explosion.

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.

This policy was widely condemned by human rights organizations as “collective punishment” and “a war crime and a crime against humanity”.

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.”

Amnesty International, argued that, the Israeli authorities’ claim that such demolitions are effective in dissuading potential attackers “is entirely irrelevant in the eyes of International humanitarian law, which places clear s on the actions which an occupying power may take in the name of security, and the absolute prohibition on collective punishment is one of the most important of these rules.”

“Collective punishment is never permissible under any circumstances.”

Source: WAFA