Israeli forces begin to demolish Palestinian man's family home in Nablus

Israeli forces stormed the family home of a slain Palestinian man in Nablus on Wednesday morning, in preparation for its demolition - the latest act of collective punishment in the occupied territories.

The soldiers targeted the house of Abdel Fatah Khrousheh, a man killed in an Israeli ambush on 7 March, in Askar refugee camp, on the eastern outskirts of Nablus, at dawn on Wednesday. 

Khoroushi allegedly participated in an attack in the Palestinian town of Hawara that saw two Israeli settlers killed. 

The destruction of Palestinian family homes as collective punishment for such attacks has been used by Israel for decades, a tactic human rights groups have repeatedly condemned. 

"Occupation forces entered the refugee camp at dawn and raided the Khrousheh family home - taking measurements in preparation for demolition," said Mohamed al-Serfi, head of the Askar Popular Council, told The New Arab's sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. 

"The son of Abdel Fatah Khrousheh was also arrested during the raid."

Two other family members also remain in Israeli custody.

The Lions' Den armed group said they opened fire on the soldiers as they made their way through Nablus, but were not able to prevent the raid. 

After his death, Khrousheh's family was subjected to violent reprisals from the Palestinian Authority's security forces, who attacked the 49-year-old's funeral procession as it passed through Nablus. 

The PA's attack drew widespread condemnation from across Palestinian society. 

Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli military operations are intensifying in Hawara with soldiers now stationed on the town's main street and snipers positioned on roofs around the area, according to local residents. 

The death toll of Palestinians continues to rise due to near-daily Israeli military raids on towns and villages in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian health ministry in its latest death toll says 88 Palestinians have been killed since the start of this year, including 17 children.