Aness Suheil Barghoti
07 March 2019•Update: 07 March 2019
RAMALLAH, Palestine
Israeli forces on Thursday demolished the home of a Palestinian man accused of killing two Israeli soldiers in a shooting attack in the West Bank last December.
Israeli bulldozers destroyed the home of Assem Barghouthi in the village of Kubar north of Ramallah at dawn Thursday, according to witnesses.
Witnesses said that Israeli forces had cordoned off the area surrounding the targeted home, triggering clashes with dozens of Palestinian youths.
Israeli soldiers then reportedly used live ammunition to disperse the crowds.
The Israeli authorities accuse Barghouthi of killing two soldiers and injuring eight Israeli settlers last year in two separate shooting attacks in the West Bank.
Assem was arrested by Israeli forces on Jan. 8 following a monthlong manhunt.
Assem's brother, Saleh, was shot dead by Israeli forces last December for his alleged involvement in the attacks.
The Israeli army still relies on “emergency” legislation dating back to the British Mandate period (1920-1948) to demolish Palestinian homes whose owners are accused of carrying out attacks on Israelis.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, meanwhile, the Israeli army demolished another Palestinian home on the pretext that it had been built without official permission.
At dawn Thursday, two bulldozers backed by dozens of soldiers stormed the village of Burqa near Nablus before demolishing the structure, which had been owned by a local Palestinian.
Burqa is located in what the Oslo Accords designate as “Area C” of the West Bank, over which Israel enjoys full administrative and security control.
Palestinians are forbidden to build structures in Area C without first getting permits from the Israeli authorities, which are almost impossible to obtain.
Signed in 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Oslo Accords divided the occupied West Bank -- including East Jerusalem -- into Areas A, B, and C.
Area A falls under the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s administrative and security control; Area B falls under the PA’s administrative control and Israeli security control; and Area C falls under the exclusive administrative and security control of Israel.
In a related development, Israeli forces detained 17 Palestinians in overnight raids carried out across the West Bank, according to the Israeli army.
The 17 individuals were detained for suspected involvement in “terrorist and violent disorders” directed against Israeli targets, the army said in a Thursday statement.
Suspects, the army added, had since been referred to the relevant authorities for interrogation.
The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the West Bank and Jerusalem on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.
An estimated 6,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including numerous women and children and a handful of lawmakers.
