Israel blows up home of Palestinian prisoner

The Israeli army 'used explosives' to destroy the home of Mohammed Abed Almajid Mohammed El-Amaira, 38, in Dura, southwest of the West Bank city of Hebron.

Amaira, a member of the Palestinian Authority security services, was arrested several weeks ago, accused of having helped plan and carry out the July 1 attack, which killed rabbi Michael Mark and injured two members of his family.

Eyewitnesses told The New Arab that over 15 military vehicles raided the town of Dura early Tuesday morning and surrounded Amaira’s neighbourhood.

Israeli forces then forced Amaira's neighbours out of their houses as they laid explosives throughout the Palestinian prisoner’s home.   

Another Palestinian accused for being involved in the attack, Mohamed Fakih, 29, was killed during a raid in July that saw Israeli forces fire anti-tank missiles at a house in the West Bank village of Surif.

Israel regularly destroys the homes of Palestinians accused of attacks, a policy described by Palestinians and human rights groups as collective punishment, forcing families to suffer for the acts of others.

Also on Tuesday, Israeli forces tore down three Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem.

Bulldozers, escorted by Israeli troops and police officers, stormed the neighbourhood of Sur Bahir and demolished a home that housed a family of five, allowing the family to take only part of their belongings.

The owner of the home, Wasim Atiyeh, said the 120-square-metre house was demolished because it was built without a licence issued by the Jerusalem municipality.

"A court hearing was scheduled for the end of October to discuss the licence issue," Atiyeh told The New Arab.

Meanwhile, in the neighbourhood of Silwan, bulldozers demolished two houses under construction belonging to Iyad Nairoukh. He said the demolition was performed without prior notice, adding that he had only started the construction 20 days earlier, Palestinian Ma'an news agency reported.