JERUSALEM (BN24) — Israeli authorities have ordered the demolition of homes in the West Bank hometowns of two Palestinian gunmen who killed six people in a shooting attack near a Jerusalem bus stop. The gunmen, from the villages of Qatanna and Qubeiba north of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, carried out the deadly assault on Monday at the city’s outskirts.
Defense Minister Israel Katz announced sanctions targeting family members of the attackers and residents of the two villages. “Every structure that had been built without permits in the two towns would be demolished, and 750 people would have their permission revoked to work in Israel,” Katz said in a statement. Work permits represent a vital source of income for many Palestinian families.
Israel maintains that demolishing the homes of relatives of attackers serves as a deterrent against future violence. However, Palestinians and human rights organizations condemn the policy as collective punishment, which they argue is prohibited under international law.
