The Israeli occupation army has detonated the West Bank house of prisoner Muntaser ash-Shalabi who was accused of carrying out a drive-by shooting attack last May at a checkpoint in southern Nablus killing one Jewish settler and injuring two others.
According to local sources Israeli forces stormed Turmus Ayya village in the northwest of Ramallah overnight and embarked on planting explosives inside Shalabi’s two-story house before blowing it up on Thursday morning.
Last week the Shalabi family removed their furniture and personal belongings from the house after the Israeli high court of justice approved the punitive demolition measure.
Consequently angry local youths clashed with the soldiers in the village and hurled stones at them.
Israel systematically carries out such home demolitions in the West Bank and Jerusalem as a mass punitive measure against Palestinian families when it accuses one of their relatives of carrying out attacks against Jewish settlers. Such punitive action is often taken before there are court trials or convictions.
In this regard the Hamas Movement condemned the demolition of prisoner Shalabi’s house as “a barbaric and terrorist act practiced by criminal gangs.”
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem said that such ongoing demolition policy confirms Israel’s stupidity and its failure to stop the Palestinian people from continuing their uprising and struggle against the occupation.
