Israeli forces destroy homes of Palestinian suspects

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli forces on Saturday destroyed the family homes of three Palestinian men charged with carrying out a drive-by shooting last month that killed a couple in front of their four children, and the forces also demolished the home of a man accused of fatally shooting an Israeli in June.

It was the most sweeping use of a recently revived, controversial antiterrorism measure since a wave of unrest escalated last month, mostly through demonstrations, stabbing attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians and attempts to hit Israelis with vehicles.

Israel’s Supreme Court approved the demolitions, all in the West Bank, on Thursday after days of debate. Hawkish Israeli politicians and bereaved relatives had accused the court of dragging its feet after it delayed a decision on Oct. 30. An Israeli human rights group, HaMoked, lost an appeal trying to prevent the demolitions.

Israeli military forces surrounded the homes, three in Nablus, and one nearby in Silwad, early Saturday. They were destroyed with explosives after the families cleared out, local news media reported.

Yusra Haj-Hamad, 32, the sister of one of the accused attackers, Yehiya, said dozens of soldiers had surrounded their home after midnight, bursting in and ordering everyone out as they drilled holes for the explosives. “The soldiers passed out earplugs for everyone, but that still didn’t stop me from hearing my home explode,” Haj-Hamad said. “I’m not really sure where my family and I are going to sleep tonight. And I’m still terrified about what has happened to us.”

Clashes erupted in Nablus between the Israeli military and youths who tried to prevent the demolitions; 12 people were injured, the local news media reported.

Home demolitions were revived as a punitive measure last year.