Israel demolishes homes of Palestinian attackers as clashes escalate
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Version 0 of 1. Israeli security forces have demolished the homes of two Palestinians behind lethal attacks on Israelis last year, and sealed off another, following prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s threat of “harsh” action amid sharply mounting unrest. The acceleration of the controversial policy of house demolitions was one of a package of measures announced in recent days by Netanyahu to quell days of escalating violence between Palestinians and Israelis, amid mounting criticism of Netanyahu’s leadership. Related: Is a third Palestinian intifada on the way – or has it already begun? The houses destroyed were the former homes of Ghassan Abu Jamal and Mohammed Jaabis. Abu Jamal, with his cousin Uday Abu Jamal, killed four rabbis and a police officer in a bloody attack on a Jerusalem synagogue in 2014, before being shot and killed. Jaabis rammed an earthmover into a bus in August, killing an Israeli and wounding several others. He was shot dead by police at the scene. The demolitions took place hours after several thousand largely right-wing Israelis demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s home to protest his handling of the crisis. The protest was attended by prominent figures in Israel’s national religious and right-wing political communities, including MPs from Netanyahu’s own Likud party, amid concern that the current tensions are in danger of being transformed into a new intifada (uprising). Netanyahu has also faced criticism within his own cabinet, including from right-wing education minister Naftali Bennett and justice minister Ayelet Shaked, whom sources in the prime minister’s office accused of exploiting the current unrest “for political gain”. Shaked had told Israel’s Channel 2 she believed the government was not doing enough to fight terrorism. Among calls from right-wingers at the rally was for Netanyahu to respond to violence with more settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories. “The right answer, the only answer for terror, is to build and build and build,” Likud MP Oren Hazan told reporters at the demonstration. The demolitions come after clashes have spread in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank in recent days following the deaths of four Israelis. Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian teenager on Monday – the second killing in 24 hours – as dozens were wounded in fresh clashes. Netanyahu has announced a series of new security measures and right-wing politicians have been pushing for demolitions to move forward. The spike in violence has brought international calls for calm, with concerns the unrest could spin out of control and memories of previous Palestinian uprisings still fresh. Two Palestinian youths, aged 13 and 18, have been killed by Israeli forces in the last 24 hours, and another was in a critical state on Monday night after clashes in east Jerusalem. Clashes also erupted in the West Bank and Bethlehem, where police responded with live bullets and tear gas to gangs of angry Palestinian youths, while Jewish settlers also fought with Palestinians. At the flashpoint Israeli settlement of Beit El, violence erupted after a stand-off by around 50 students, who started throwing stones at soldiers while still carrying their school bags. “It’s our duty, we are on our land and they shoot at us,” said one hooded 21-year-old Palestinian among the throwers. Another masked 18-year-old nearby said he hoped for “a third intifada”. |