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Scenes (3). Published by Maan News
Scene. (1). Published by IMEMC News
Omar Abu Laila. Published by IMEMC NEws
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SALFIT (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces punitively blew up the family home of 19-year-old killed Palestinian Omar Abu Leila, who carried out a stabbing and shooting attack near the illegal Israeli settlement of Ariel, in the northern West Bank district of Salfit, on Wednesday.

Local sources confirmed that dozens of heavily armed Isareli forces and several bulldozers raided the al-Zawiya town in the Salfit district.

Clashes erupted among Palestinians and Israeli forces who surrounded the home, as a number of activists and supporters had gathered for a vigil to prevent the demolition of the family's home.

Israeli forces assaulted journalists present in the area and suppressed them using tear-gas bombs and stun grenades.

Sources said that Israeli forces forced the family to evacuate the home and placed several explosives inside.

The complete demolition of the two-storey home took more than six hours.

Israeli forces had raided Abu Leila’s home earlier last week, took footage and measurements of the property, in preparation to carry out the demolition.

The family had received a demolition order on March 26th, less than a week after Israeli soldiers shot and killed Abu Leila.

Israel always demolishes family homes of Palestinians, who were involved in attacking Israelis as part of its collective punishment policy against the Palestinian people.

Israel has come under harsh condemnation over the past several years for its response to attacks committed by Palestinians on Israelis, which rights groups have said amounted to "collective punishment" on family members and entire communities in a clear violation of international law.
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by IMEMC New

Israeli soldiers demolished, on Wednesday at dawn, the family home of Omar Abu Laila, in the az-Zawiya town, west of Salfit, in Central West Bank.

Media sources said dozens of soldiers, accompanied by military bulldozers, invaded az-Zawiya, late at night, Tuesday, and headed towards the home.

They added that the army surrounded the town, and declared it a closed military zone, preventing the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.

The invasion was carried out by at least thirty armored Israeli military vehicles, including bulldozers.

During the invasion, Israeli Army Corps of Engineers proceeded to wire the property, and detonated it several hours later.

They added that the soldiers also attacked, and fired gas bombs and concussion grenades, at Palestinian journalists, trying to document the invasion and demolition.

The detonated home was a four-story building; the explosion leveled the building, and caused damage to many surrounding homes.

Prior to demolishing it, the soldiers stormed and searched dozens of surrounding homes, and forced at least fifty families out of their homes.

The invasion and demolition lasted for more than seven hours, while dozens of Palestinian youngsters hurled stones at the invading soldiers, who fired many live rounds, gas bombs and concussion grenades.

Talking to the Palestinian TV, Na’im Shqeir, the mayor of az-Zawiya, described the invasions and the demolition as a “barbaric act” targeting dozens of families, and aiming at terrorizing them.”

Omar Abu Laila, 19, was killed by Israeli soldiers, on March 19th, 2019, after the soldiers surrounded a home, and exchanged fire with him in Abwein village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. The soldiers took his corpse and never handed it back to his family.


Omar Abu Laila

Abu Laila is suspected of killing Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger and Staff Sgt. Gal Keidan, after he reportedly stabbed Keidan and shot Ettinger, on March 17, 2019.

The decision to demolish the family home was made shortly after the stabbing incident.

The demolition of homes is an act of collective punishment illegal under International Law, and Fourth Geneva Convention and various international treaties.

Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 states: “Individual responsibility, collective penalties, pillage and reprisals. No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. … Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, collective punishment is a war crime.

It prohibits “penalties of any kind inflicted on persons or entire groups of persons, in defiance of the most elementary principles of humanity, for acts that these persons have not committed.”

Video By Maan News Agency