Israel demolishes alleged Palestinian attacker's home in volatile occupied West Bank
Israeli troops have demolished the home of a Palestinian who is suspected of killing an Israeli soldier last year, in the latest military operation in the increasingly volatile occupied West Bank, which has been gripped by surging violence
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Israeli troops on Thursday demolished the home of a Palestinian who is suspected of killing an Israeli soldier last year, in the latest military operation in the increasingly volatile occupied West Bank, which has been gripped by surging violence.
The demolition came during a week of rising tensions and unrelenting violence in the West Bank and just hours after Israel carried out a rare airstrike that killed three Palestinian militants near the city of Jenin and Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in retaliation for the killing of four Israelis a day earlier.
A daylong Israeli military raid on Monday killed seven Palestinians, including two teens, near Jenin, a militant stronghold. A day later, a mass shooting by Palestinian gunmen killed four Israelis, including a 17-year-old boy.
The army said late Wednesday it had “identified a terrorist cell inside a suspicious vehicle” that was allegedly responsible for recent shooting attacks on Jewish settlements. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group on Thursday claimed the three men killed in the drone strike were its members and vowed to carry out more attacks in revenge.
Early Thursday, the Israeli army released a video showing troops carrying out the controlled demolition of the suspected gunman’s apartment. The military reported that troops came under attack during the operation in the city of Nablus, but no injuries were reported.
The house belonged to Kamal Jouri, one of two Palestinians suspected of killing SSgt. Ido Baruch in a drive-by shooting in the northern West Bank in October. A Palestinian militant group called the Den of Lions claimed the attack. The army demolished the second suspect's home earlier this month.
Israel says that demolishing the homes of Palestinian attackers serves as a deterrent, while critics say the tactic amounts to collective punishment.
This week's violence was the latest in a long string of violence in the region over the past year and half that shows no sign of relenting. At least 135 Palestinians and 26 people on the Israeli side have been killed so far this year, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
Israel has been staging near-nightly raids in the West Bank in response to a string of deadly Palestinian attacks targeting Israeli civilians early in 2022. Israel says most of the Palestinians killed were militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in confrontations have also been killed.
Israel captured the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for a future independent state.