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Photos:
The destroyed house of Muhammad Ali al-Heeh, where Israeli forces killed Muhammad Faqih on July 27, 2016. Published by Maan News

Muhammad Faqih. Published by Maan News

Scenes of demolition. Published by Maan News

An Israeli security forces truck carries out an operation near Hebron, Israel, July 27, 2016.Screenshot / Shehab News Agency/
Published by Haaretz
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HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man and injured five others in the village of Surif north of Hebron overnight Tuesday, after Israeli soldiers bombarded and destroyed a house he was fortified in, with the Israeli army saying the man was responsible for a deadly drive-by shooting on July 1.

Spokesperson for the Israeli army Avichay Adraee said in a statement in Arabic that Israeli troops exchanged fire with Muhammad Faqih after surrounding the house.

The Israeli soldiers, he said, fired several anti-tank missiles at the house after the “terrorist” started to return fire. A bulldozer from the Israeli army’s engineering corps then demolished the house before Faqih was killed.

It remained unclear by what means Israeli forces ultimately killed Faqih.
Eyewitnesses told Ma’an they saw the body of Faqih in the bucket of an Israeli army bulldozer that pulled him out of the rubble.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that five Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated bullets during clashes in Surif.

Adraee confirmed that a Palestinian woman sustained minor wounds during the military attack and was taken to a hospital for treatment, adding in that a Kalashnikov machine gun and a grenade were found in the house.

Locals said Israeli forces detained four Palestinians from Surif during the raid, identified as Ahmad Ibrahim al-Hur, Diyaa Khalid Ghneimat, and Muhammad Ali al-Heeh -- the owner of the demolished house in which Faqih was hiding. Al-Heeh’s mother was also detained.

Adraee confirmed three Palestinians were detained for their alleged involvement in the July 1 attack.

Faqih himself was from the village of Dura in southern Hebron.

Later Wednesday morning, a general strike was announced in Dura and its surrounding villages in southern Hebron in mourning for Faqih, with all shops and organizations closing.

Adraee's statement alleged that Faqih was the gunman who carried out a shooting attack on Route 60 between the illegal Israeli settlements of Beit Hagai and Otniel south of Hebron, which killed Otniel resident Michael Marc, critically injured his wife Chava, with two of their children, Pdaya, 15, and Tehila, 14, sustaining moderate and light wounds, respectively.

Since the deadly shooting attack on July 1, which came hours after Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian woman in Hebron's Old City for an alleged stab attempt at Israeli soldiers, and a day after a stab attack in the Hebron-area settlement of Kiryat Arba that left a 13-year-old Israeli girl dead, Israeli forces launched a widespread manhunt for the gunman.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz initially reported the gunman was suspected to be from the village of Bani Naim, the same village that both the slain Palestinian woman and the slain killer of the teenage girl originated from.
A gunman for a separate shooting attack in Hebron on July 9 remained at large, with the suspect reportedly having fled into the village of Sair.

The closures that were imposed across the district of Hebron have amounted to the most extensive lockdown on the occupied West Bank since 2014, disrupting the access of hundreds of thousands of residents to services and livelihoods, according to the UN, who has said the measures amount to collective punishment on innocent Palestinians.
Villages in Hebron that have been completely sealed over the past month included Sair, Yatta, and Bani Naim. Some 2,700 Palestinian residents of Bani Naim have had their travel permits revoked.

Scores of Palestinians have also been detained in overnight raids in Hebron, and dozens of others injured during clashes between locals and Israeli forces.

According to the UN, 50 Palestinians, including 14 children, were injured by Israeli forces during clashes in the West Bank between July 5 and 11 -- almost all during detention raids, the largest of which took place in Dura, which resulted in 38 injuries. In the same week, Israeli forces conducted 98 search and detention operations and arrested 95 Palestinians, with Hebron accounting for the highest number of operations and arrests.

According to Israel's security agency the Shin Bet, a Hamas movement cell was responsible for the Route 60 attack, Haaretz reported Wednesday.

Three days after the attack, Israeli forces also reportedly detained Palestinian national security services member and Dura resident Muhammad Omaireh.

According to the Shin Bet, Omaireh, 38, admitted to driving the car from which Faqih shot at the Mark family's car, and the weapon and car used in the attack were turned over during the Shin Bet's investigation.

Haaretz also reported that Faqih's brother Sahib was also detained and confessed under interrogation that he helped Muhammad to hide the weapons. Their cousin Muaz Faqih was also reportedly detained for assisting Faqih after the attack.

The Shin Bet statement said Faqih, 29, was previously imprisoned by Israel for his activity in the Islamic Jihad movement, which allegedly included planning attacks. During his incarceration he became affiliated with Hamas, according to the Shin Bet.

Faqih was among nearly 220 Palestinians to be killed by Israeli forces during clashes or while carrying attacks since a wave of unrest swept across the occupied West Bank in October, which has also left 32 Israelis dead.

Israel has come under repeated criticism for failing to carry out due process in response to alleged and actual attacks, particularly in regard to the apparent extrajudicial executions of Palestinians who no longer posed a threat when they were killed.

Israeli rights group B’Tselem has accused Israeli soldiers and police officers of acting as “judge, jury and executioner” for Palestinians during the past few months of unrest, also blaming official encouragement and effective impunity for Israeli forces.

There had been a relative lull in violence prior to the deadly events of June 30 and July 1 in Hebron -- and in the same 48 hours another Palestinian was killed while allegedly carrying out an attack in Israel, while a Palestinian man died during clashes at Qalandiya checkpoint --however, three Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli forces since.

A 22-year-old Palestinian was killed in al-Ram north of Jerusalem when he and two friends driving in the area stumbled upon an ongoing Israeli army raid in the area on July 13, a Palestinian was fatally shot on July 18 after he allegedly carried out a stab attack outside of the al-Arrub refugee camp on Route 60, and on Tuesday, a 12-year-old Palestinian was killed during clashes with Israeli soldiers al-Ram.

Hebron City and its surrounding villages in particular have grown as the epicenter of upheaval since violence increased in October, where tensions run high between local Palestinians living among an expanding settler population. The Old City area is home to 30,000 Palestinians and around 800 Israeli settlers who live under the protection of Israeli forces. Hebron residents frequently report attacks and harassment by the settlers, carried out in the presence of the forces.
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by IMEMC News

Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded, on Wednesday at dawn, the town of Surif, northwest of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and fired missiles into a home, before bulldozing it, leading to the death of one Palestinian, who was barricaded in the property for more than six hours, and exchanged fire with the army.

The head of Surif Local Council Mohammad Lafi said the soldiers located the remains of the slain Palestinian, who was later identified as Mohammad al-Faqeeh, 29, and took placed his body in one of their vehicles before driving away.

He added that at least seven Palestinians were injured in clashes that took place between the invading soldiers and local youths, who hurled stones and empty bottles at the army, while the soldiers fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs.

The soldiers are now completely surrounding Surif, after they declared it a closed military zone, preventing the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.

Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded, on Tuesday at dawn, Surif town, northwest of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and fired missiles into a home, before bulldozing and demolishing it.

Eyewitnesses said the soldiers surrounded the property, and used loud speakers demanding a Palestinian to surrender.

An exchange of fire took place between the soldiers, and a person who was barricaded in the home, before the army fired at least two missiles into surifit.

The property in question is a three-story building in Wad Jaddour area, in Surif, and is owned by a Palestinian identified as Mohammad al-Heeh.

The army placed Surif under complete siege, declared it a closed military zone, and said the Palestinian is wanted for the military and security services.

The head of Surif Local Council, Mohammad Lafi Eghneimat, said that the soldiers also cut electricity supplies to Surif and al-Jab’a nearby village, before pushing many armored vehicles into them.

The invasion also led to clashes between the soldiers and many local youths, who hurled stones and empty bottles on the military vehicles, while the army fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs.

Medical sources in Surif said seven Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets and live rounds; three of them were moved to a hospital, while many others suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation.
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Palestinian Who Murdered Rabbi Michael Mark Killed in West Bank Clashes, Shin Bet Confirms

In overnight operation, IDF bulldozes hideout of Mohammed Fakieh near Hebron, who was in hiding since the attack early July.

Gili Cohen for Haaretz

The Shin Bet confirmed on Tuesday night that the Palestinian assailant who murdered Rabbi Michael Mark of Otniel was killed in clashes with Israeli security forces overnight near Hebron.

Mohammed Fakieh, who was been in hiding since carrying out the attack, was located on Tuesday night in the town of Zarif. According to Palestinian reports, the IDF then fired anti-tank missiles and other artillery at the building where he was hiding. 

The IDF Spokesperson's Office says Fakieh fired at the Israeli forces during the raid and the latter responded with fire and anti-tank missiles directed at Fakieh’s hideout. Eventually the Israeli forces demolished the house with a bulldozer and killed Fakieh. 

According to the IDF, a Kalashnikov rifle and a home-made grenade were found in his vicinity. In addition, three Palestinians who aided Fakieh were detained during the operation. During the exchange of fire a Palestinian woman was lightly wounded. She was taken to hospital to receive medical treatment.

Fakieh, 29, lived in Hebron. He was detained in Israeli prison in the past for his activity in the Islamic Jihad organization, which included planning attacks. During his incarceration he became affiliated with Hamas, according to the Shin Bet.

According to the Shin Bet, the cell that carried out the attack in Otniel at the beginning of July was identified as Hamas. A few other cell members were also detained overnight, including Palestinian security services member Mohammed Omaireh, the Shin Bet said.

Omaireh, 38, from the town of Dura near Hebron, was detained three days after the Otniel attack by Israeli forces and admitted to driving the car from which Fakieh shot at the Mark family's car, killing Michael Mark. The weapon and car used in the attack were turned over during the Shin Bet's investigation. 

Fakieh's brother, Sahib, was also detained and confessed that he helped Mohammed to hide and to conceal weapons, the Shin Bet said. The siblings' cousin, Muaz Fakieh, has also been taken into custody.
According to the Shin Bet, he helped put up Fakieh after the attack.