JENIN, November 30, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli forces notified the family of Mohammad Ziad Abu al-Rob, a prisoner in Israeli jails, about their intention to demolish their home as a punitive measure for their son’s alleged killing of an Israeli settler in early October.

Ziad Abu al-Rob, Mohammad’s father, said Israeli authorities informed his son’s attorney that the family ought to leave their home prior to its demolition by the Israeli authorities.

The father said, prior to this notification the supreme Israeli court rejected a plea submitted by the attorney against the intended demolition.

Abu al-Rob was convicted by an Israeli court of murdering an Israeli settler in the Arab town of Kafr Qasem, in central Israel, in early October.

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

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 concluded 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