JENIN, April 12, 2018 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces on Thursday notified the family of Ahmad Jamal Qunbu, a prisoner from Jenin city in the northern West Bank, about their intention to demolish their home in retaliation for their son’s alleged partaking in the killing of an Israeli settlers earlier this year.

Jamal Qunbu, Ahmad’s father, told WAFA that the forces handed him a notification informing him that they will demolish his home on April 17 in retaliation for Ahmad’s alleged partaking in the fatal shooting of an Israeli settler near Nablus in early January.

The father said he had appealed to the Supreme Israeli Court through his son’s attorney to annul the decision but all in vain.

Israeli authorities have accused Ahmad Jamal Qunbu of assisting deceased Ahmad Nasr Jarrar in the killing of the Israeli settler outside Havat Gilad illegal settlement, to the west of Nablus in the West Bank.

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 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 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