Israel destroys Palestinian home amid West Bank violence

It all happened overnight. The home of a Palestinian in Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, was destroyed by Israel on Thursday (22 June). Israeli soldiers entered the city at night and left at dawn after destroying the apartment located in an apartment building. The man to whom the apartment belonged is accused of having participated in an attack in October 2022, which caused the death of a soldier. He is being held by Israel on these charges.

Since the beginning of the week, some twenty people have been killed, during Israeli military incursions or attacks by Palestinian assailants or Israeli settlers, bringing to more than 200 the number of deaths linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the beginning of the year. At least 174 Palestinians, 25 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian have been killed in violence linked to this conflict, according to an AFP tally compiled from official Israeli and Palestinian sources.

The Israeli policy of razing the homes of Palestinians responsible for murderous attacks against Israelis, or making their homes uninhabitable, is decried by human rights organizations for which it is akin to collective punishment. The Israeli government, on the contrary, claims that it has a deterrent effect.