HEBRON, Friday, April 19, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli forces punitively demolished early today two apartments in the southern West Bank city of Hebron belonging to the family of a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli woman earlier this year in Jerusalem.

WAFA correspondent said that a large Israeli force raided the Hebron neighborhood of al-Jami‘ah and surrounded a five-storey building housing two apartments belonging to the family of Arafat Irfaiya in anticipation of the planned demolition.

Soldiers dragged Irfaiya’s parents outside before heavy Israeli machinery demolished the two apartments. One of the apartments was on the fourth storey, while the other was on the second storey.

The demolition came almost a week after an Israeli court dismissed an appeal lodged by the Irfaiya family against the planned demolition.

During ensuing confrontations, Israeli soldiers opened fire towards local youngsters who protested the raid. No injuries were reported though.

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

The policy was widely condemned by human rights groups as “a collective punishment” and “a war crime and crime against humanity”.

K.F.