IOF Razes West Bank Homes, Clashes with Palestinians

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” Occupation Forces [IOF] exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen overnight in the northern West Bank while demolishing the homes of two of them, the “Israeli” military said Tuesday morning.

Muhammad Youssef Jaradat and Ghaith Ahmed Yassin Jaradat, both from the village of Silat al-Harithiya, are accused of being part of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell that shot and killed Yehuda Dimentman near the Homesh outpost in December. Two other “Israelis” were lightly wounded in the shooting.

The IOF said the military razed the former’s house and destroyed a floor of the home in which the latter lived.

According to the “Israeli” military, dozens of Palestinians rioted during the demolitions and threw rocks, firebombs and improvised explosive devices at the soldiers, who responded with riot dispersal means and live fire.

The IOF said armed Palestinians also fired upon troops. The soldiers “responded with fire and successfully completed their mission,” a statement from the military said.

Some Palestinian media reports claimed one person had been shot, but there was no official confirmation from authorities.

Earlier, two Border Police officers were lightly hurt in a suspected car-ramming operation amid the clashes.

The IOF demolished the home of a third Palestine last month, during which a teenager was martyred by “Israeli” troops, and has informed the family of a fourth Palestinian that his apartment will be destroyed. Mahmoud Ghaleb Jaradat and Omar Ahmed Yassin Jaradat, are also from Silat al-Harithiya.

The “Israeli” entity arbitrarily demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out operations as a matter of policy. The efficacy of the policy is controversial even within the “Israeli” security services and human rights activists have denounced it as unfair collective punishment.

Tuesday’s demolitions came after the entity’s High Court denied several appeals from both families.