JENIN, January 18, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli army forces Monday broke into the family homes of three Palestinians, who were shot dead by the army during the ongoing violent unrest that began in early October 2015, in an apparent prelude for planned demolition, according to local sources.

Marwan Qasrawi, the father of Wessam Qasrawi who was fatally shot by Israeli troops at Huwwara checkpoint on Sunday, said an army force broke into his and his brother’s homes, both located in the village of Mesilia, to the south of Jenin, and searched them.

An intelligence officer who accompanied the army in their raid interrogated Qasrawi and one of his sons, as well as collected some information about the home, he told WAFA.

Qasrawi’s son, Wessam, was shot dead on Sunday by Israeli troops at Huwwara checkpoint near Nablus, after he allegedly attempted to stab some soldiers.

In the meantime, other army forces raided and took measurement of the homes of brothers Mahmoud, 22, and 16-year-old Khalil Shalalda, both shot and killed by Israeli forces.

Mahmoud was gunned down in mid November during clashes that broke out with Israeli forces following the funeral procession of  another Palestinian who was also killed by undercover army soldiers while he was inside the Civil Hospital of Hebron. Mahmoud’s brother, Khalil, was fatally shot on January 8th, after he allegedly attempted to stab an Israeli soldier. The soldier was not injured during the alleged stabbing attack.

At least 159 Palestinians have been fatally shot by Israeli fire since the beginning of unrest in the occupied Palestinian Territory in early October 2015. Over 16,000 others have been injured.

In recent months, Israeli authorities resumed the policy of punitive demolition of the homes of Palestinians who are suspected of carrying out attacks against Israeli targets.

This policy was widely slammed by human rights organizations as “collective punishment” and “a war crime and a crime against humanity”.

B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, says: “The people who bear the brunt of the [punitive] demolitions are relatives – including women, the elderly, and children – whom Israel does not suspect of involvement in any offense.”

“In the vast majority of cases, the person whose actions prompted the demolition was not even living in the house at the time of the demolition,” adds the group.

“The official objective of the house demolition policy is deterrence … yet the deterrent effect of house demolitions has never been proven.”

It said that, “Since this constitutes deliberate harm to innocents, it is clear that even if house demolition had the desired deterrent effect, it would, nevertheless, remain unlawful.”

M.N./T.R.