Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Israel’s policy of razing the homes of innocent Palestinians amounts to a war crime.
The rights group called on Israel to immediately stop demolishing the homes of Palestinians whom they suspect of carrying out attacks against Israelis.
The international non-governmental organization lashed out at Israel for deliberately punishing people who have not committed any wrongdoing.
“Punitive home demolitions are blatantly unlawful,” said HRW deputy Middle East and North Africa director Joe Stork, adding, “Israel should prosecute, convict, and punish criminals, not carry out vengeful destruction that harms entire families."
On Thursday, Israeli officials delivered a demolition notice to the families of four Palestinians whom they accuse of committing attacks in Jerusalem over the past month.
On October 22, Abdel Rahman al-Shaludi's car hit a railway station in Jerusalem. One person was killed and eight others injured in the incident. The Palestinian later died of injuries sustained from gunfire by Israeli forces. While al-Shaludi's family says it was only a car accident, Israel claims he did it on purpose.
On November 5, another Palestinian driver was also shot dead by Israeli police after his car hit a train station platform in East Jerusalem. One person was killed and nine people were wounded in the incident.
On November 18, two Palestinians, named Ghassan Abu Jamal and his cousin Udayy, carried out a deadly retaliatory attack on a synagogue in West Jerusalem.
Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered authorities to destroy the houses of the Palestinian attackers.
Tensions have been running high in East Jerusalem since November 8, when Israeli troops shot dead a young Palestinian man in the northern occupied territories.
