HEBRON, December 9, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli forces early Wednesday broke into the family home of a Palestinian, who was killed by Israeli forces, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron in an apparent prelude to demolish it.

WAFA correspondent reported that Israeli forces informed the family of Malik al-Shareef, 25, about their intention to punitively demolish their house.

Forces took measurements of the house in preparation for the anticipated demolition.

Al-Shreef was shot and killed by Israeli forces after he allegedly attempted to stab Israeli settlers at the conjunction of Gush Etzion settlement bloc, southwest of Bethlehem, on November 5, 2015.

In the meantime in Nablus, Israeli troops stormed the city in the predawn hours, and informed the family of Amjad Elewi, who was detained and placed in Israeli jails after being accused of partaking in an armed attack that killed two Israeli settlers near Nablus in early October 2015, that they will be receiving a demolition notice for their house within two days.

In mid-October 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to take strict measures against Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israeli targets, as well as to pursue those 'who stand behind' them.

'We are in the midst of a wave of terror of knives, firebombs, stones and live fire,' Netanyahu told reporters.

'These actions are mostly not organized, but they are all the result of wild and untruthful incitement from Hamas, from the Palestinian Authority, from several neighboring counties and, no less, from the Islamic Movement in Israel.'

Israel resorts to punitively demolish the family homes of any Palestinians – as means of deterrence - accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not use against Israeli settlers who were involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.

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.”

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.”

K.F./T.R.