JERUSALEM
Israeli forces on Monday destroyed two houses and sealed off a third in the West Bank city of Hebron under the allegation that the owners were responsible of kidnapping and murdering three Jewish settlers near the city two months ago.
"Around 150 Israeli troops surrounded the houses of Amer Abu Aisha and Hossam Qawasmeh and destroyed them with explosives,” an eyewitness, who asked not to be named, told Anadolu Agency.
Omar Abu Aisha, father of Amer, confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces destroyed the family's house, saying such practices will not "undermine the determination of the family."
“Israel thinks if its soldiers destroyed our home, we will be afraid or frustrated. They are mistaken," he told AA. “They destroyed our house years ago. I rebuilt it and I will do it again,” he added.
The Israeli troops also sealed off the house of Marwan Qawasmeh, who is also wanted in connection with the case, with cement.
“Eight cement mixers under the protection of 50 Israeli troops poured cement into the house,” an eyewitness confirmed to AA.
Israeli authorities earlier said that Hossam Qawasmeh was arrested in July over suspicion that he led the group that killed the three Israeli settlers and that he admitting having funded by Hamas to recruit Omar Abu Aisha and Marwan Qawasmeh to kidnap and kill the trio.
Hamas, for its part, dismissed the claims, saying they are "nothing but fabrications."
The Israeli government had repeatedly accused Hamas of kidnapping the three teens, who went missing from a Jewish-only settlement in southern West Bank on June 12.
Since then, Israeli forces have detained around 1500 of Palestinians in the West Bank – including several Hamas lawmakers and former ministers – against the backdrop of the settlers' disappearance.
No Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the settlers' kidnapping and subsequent murder thus far, nor has Israel produced any evidence of Palestinian involvement.
By Anees Barghouthy
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
