JERUSALEM, October 6, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli authorities Tuesday demolished – in a punitive measure – the family homes of three Palestinians and sealed off another with cement in Jerusalem, for their involvement in attacks against Israelis, according to local sources.

The four homes belong to the families of four Palestinians killed by Israel after they were believed to be involved in attacks against Israeli targets.

At midnight, staff from Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem accompanied by a police force condoned off Jabal al-Mukabir neighborhood in Jerusalem before detonating and demolishing the homes of Ghassan and Udai Abu-Jamal, two cousins involved in the attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem in November 2014.

Forces also demolished the house of Mohammad Ja’abis, also believed to have been involved in an alleged excavator attack against Israelis in Jerusalem.

Police also sealed off the house of Muataz Hejazi with cement blocks. In 2014, Hejazi was shot dead by Israeli forces for being allegedly involved in an attack against an Israeli far-right rabbi, Yehuda Glick, in Jerusalem last year.

According to the sources, Israeli Jerusalem mayor, Nir Barakat, was personally involved in Tuesday’s demolition.

During the Israeli offensive in the area, confrontations erupted between youths and Israeli police. The latter used teargas and toxic gas canisters and stun grenades as well as rubber-coated bullets to disperse the angry youths.

According to the Israeli daily, Haartez, a statement issued by the Israeli prime minister’s office on Monday stated that, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to establish a mechanism that would significantly shorten the legal process when dealing with the demolition of terrorist homes.” the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement late on Monday.

It said that during a cabinet meeting that lasted more than five hours, Education Minister Bennett demands settlements be built after every terror attack; Israeli forces demolish two homes of convicted terrorists and seal off another.

The Palestinian government condemned the demolitions, and said they were part of a series of violations committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, in breach of article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Al-Haq human rights group slammed the punitive home demolition of Palestinians suspected of being involved in attacks against Israelis, as a collective punishment and that in accordance with humanitarian law and human rights law, it is assessed as 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.”

In the meantime, Amnesty International, argued that, The Israeli authorities’ claim that such demolitions are effective in dissuading potential attackers is entirely irrelevant in the eyes of International humanitarian law, which places clear limits on the actions which an occupying power may take in the name of security, and the absolute prohibition on collective punishment is one of the most important of these rules.

“ Collective punishment is never permissible under any circumstances,” it said.

The US department also denounced Israel’s punitive home demolition policy.

The center said that, “From 1967 to 2005 Israel demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes in the occupied territories as a punitive measure.”

The Israeli military ended an earlier policy of punitive home demolitions in 1998, but reinstituted it after the start of the second Palestinian intifada in 2000. From 2000 to 2005 Israeli forces punitively destroyed more than 650 Palestinian homes, displacing more than 4,000 people, according to data collected by B’Tselem.

The military suspended punitive demolitions in 2005 on the recommendation of a study by a military committee that found the policy did nothing to deter Palestinian attacks on Israelis, said Human Rights Watch.

“The 2005 Israeli military report noted that punitive home demolitions increased hostility toward Israel. Justifying punishment of people who are not responsible for a criminal act just because they might “support” it would set a dangerous precedent which could come back to haunt Israelis.”

According to al-Haq, “The policy was however used in 2009, when the homes of two Palestinians accused of killing an Israeli soldier were punitively demolished and sealed in East Jerusalem.”

M.N./T.R.