HEBRON, February 2, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli army Tuesday stormed the house of a Palestinian who was recently shot dead by the army in Hebron, and took measurements inside, in an apparent prelude to demolish it as a collective punishment against his family, according to security sources.
The sources said that at late midnight, an Israeli army force broke into the house of Ibrahim Eskafi, who was shot dead by the army on November 4, 2015, after he allegedly attempted to run over Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Hebron.
Army officers and soldiers reportedly took measurements inside the house, prior to an anticipated demolition.
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.
This policy was widely condemned 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.”
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 s 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.”
According to B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights center, said that, In February 2005 a military committee, chaired by Major General Udi Shani, reached a conclusion, determining that the efficacy of the house demolition policy as a counter-terrorism tool was questionable, and that it “walked the line” of legality.
Then Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz, adopted the committee’s recommendations, and the Israeli security establishment stopped using this measure, with the exception of the 2009 demolition of one residential unit in East Jerusalem and the sealing of two others, also in East Jerusalem, said the center.
“In the summer of 2014, following the abduction of three yeshiva students at the Gush Etzion junction, and their subsequent killing, the security establishment resumed punitive house demolitions.”
“In all demolitions carried out since the adoption of the Shani committee recommendations, no explanation was given as to why these recommendations were disregarded,” said B’Tselem.
M.N./T.R.
