Amid unrest in West Bank, Israel demolishes militants’ homes

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas urged the Palestinian security forces to quell the violence, accusing Israel of pouring oil on the flames of the uprisings.

As before, events around the Al Aqsa mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem have helped trigger violence fanned by a volatile mix of religion and politics.

Palestinian medics said two protesters in the usually quiet desert town of Jericho were moderately wounded by shots to the legs.

Abbas claims that he desires peace, saying, “We tell them (the Israelis) that we do not want either military or security escalation”.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday expressed his concern over the recent surge in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, condemning the killings of Palestinians without mention of Israeli terror victims. It remains unclear whether they attempted to appeal the orders with the Israeli Supreme Court.

Today’s demolitions came with Netanyahu under increasing pressure from right-wing members of his coalition, which holds only a one-seat parliamentary majority, as clashes have spread following the murder of four Israelis.

“There are about two dozen hotspots in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, not more than that”, the officer said.

Ban said a “prompt and transparent” probe of the recent violence in which a 13-year-old was killed by Israeli soldiers would serve to determine “whether the use of force was proportional”.

The houses knocked down were the former homes of Ghassan Abu Jamal and Mohammed Jaabis, a military statement said.

In a related development, Israel Radio reported Tuesday that it had obtained official Palestinian government documents confirming hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to prisoners convicted in a few of the deadliest attacks on Israelis. The Abu Jammal cousins, whose family house was located in East Jerusalem’s Jabal Mukkaber neighbourhood, were shot and killed on the scene.

Jaabis drove an earthmover into a bus in August previous year, killing an Israeli. Human rights groups condemn the demolition policy as collective punishment. It also damaged other apartments in the building and surrounding structures.

Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu had pledged new measures including swifter demolition of homes belonging to Palestinians accused of attacks on Israelis and broader use of administrative detention.

Israeli police have temporarily barred Palestinians from the Old City.

Israeli settlers injured at least two Palestinians, including a ten-year-old boy, in attacks across the West Bank late Monday and early Tuesday, locals told Ma’an.

After a Palestinian man killed two Israelis on a street in the historic neighborhood, Israeli police say they are restricting access to Jerusalem.

“Nobody will have immunity, anywhere”, Netanyahu said after the announcement.

In all, eight Palestinians were wounded by live fire and 45 by rubber-coated steel pellets in the West Bank and Jerusalem on Monday, the Red Crescent said.

Clashes also erupted in the West Bank and Bethlehem, where police responded with live bullets and tear gas to gangs of angry Palestinian youths, while Jewish settlers also fought with Palestinians.

Both men were killed by security forces in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and their families had been living in the now demolished homes.

Unlike the last intifada, the current conflict has been defined by “lone wolf” attacks – it has not involved Palestinian security forces and has not been endorsed by rival political factions.