Israel demolishes the home of a Palestinian man suspected of murdering a settler

Human rights organisations frequently criticise Israel’s home demolition strategy as collective punishment.

Israeli forces attacked a community in the occupied West Bank and demolished the home of a Palestinian; who they claim killed an Israeli settler last December, resulting in clashes.

According to an Israeli army statement, soldiers used explosives to demolish Omar Jaradat’s home in the town of Silat al-Harithiya.

According to the report, Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails at soldiers, who replied with semi-automatic fire.

The flat of Jaradat was on the first floor of a building. Although it was damaged, the outward structure remained intact. The house was demolished after an Israeli court denied Jaradat’s family’s legitimate request to leave their home alone.Jaradat is accused by Israel of being a member of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell that killed an Israeli settler last year near the unauthorised Homesh outpost. In the shooting, two additional Israelis were lightly injured.

Other residences of Jaradat’s family members in Silat al-Harithiya had earlier been razed by Israeli forces – two other suspects in the attack, Muhammad Jaradat and Ghaith Jaradat.