Israel demolished Palestinian family home for second time in one year
House owner, said that she is going to rebuilt her home, just as she did in the past several times her family home was demolished as a punishment for her sons activities in the resistance.
RAMALLAH, Thursday, October 24, 2019 (WAFA) — Israeli forces today demolished, for the second time in less than a year, the Abu Hmeid family home in Amari refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, said witnesses.
A large Israeli army unit raided the camp in the pre-dawn hours and secured access to the location where the two-story house is located. The soldiers broke into the building, forced its residents out before tearing it down, said the witnesses.
Clashes erupted between camp youths and the soldiers during the operation. The soldiers fired dozens of teargas canisters and sound bombs at the youths injuring 11 and detaining some.
Yazid Issam, a paramedic volunteer with the Palestinian Red Crescent, said the soldiers ordered the medical staff to leave the area and prevented them from evacuating the wounded.
Latifa Abu Hmeid, the house owner, said that she is going to rebuilt her house, just as she did in the past several times her family home was demolished as a punishment for her sons activities in the resistance.
This is the fourth time Israel demolishes the Abu Hmeid residence for the participation of members of the family in resisting the Israeli occupation, the first was in 1994 and the second in 2004.
In December 2018, Israeli forces demolished the Abu Hmeid home after accusing its son, Islam, of killing an Israeli soldier in the camp in May of that year. The family, with support from the public and the Palestinian Authority, rebuilt it.
The beleaguered family already has four of its sons serving several life terms and a fifth held in administrative detention. A sixth was killed by the Israeli army. Islam is also expected to be handed down at least one life term when his trial ends.
Israel always demolishes homes of Palestinians involved in attacking and killing Israelis as part of its collective punishment policy against the Palestinian people. It does not apply this policy on Israelis who kill Palestinians.
