Israel demolishes home of Palestinian prisoner

The Israeli military demolished the home of a Palestinian who they say was involved in a stabbing attack on Israelis.

The home of Bilal Abu Zeid in the West Bank village of Qabatiya was demolished early Monday.

Abu Zeid was accused of being involved in an attack in Jerusalem in February that killed an Israeli paramilitary police officer. The military did not disclose what role Abu Zeid allegedly played in the attack.

“Israeli forces stormed the town of Qabatiya with bulldozers to demolish the family home of Abu Zeid,” Ali Zakerneh, spokesman for the PLO factions in Jenin told The New Arab.

During the demolition armed clashes and confrontations with the occupation forces took place during which youths pelted Israeli forces with stones, resulting in the injury of five young men.  

Last April, three houses of Palestinian martyrs in the town of Qabatiya were demolished.  

In the first three months of 2016, around 370 Palestinian structures in the West Bank and 36 in East Jerusalem have been demolished, causing the displacement of 486 people in the West Bank and 48 in East Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has moved to expedite demolitions of alleged attackers' homes as a punitive measure.

Human rights groups say the measure amounts to collective punishment, with the suspects' families forced to suffer for others' alleged acts.