Renewing a policy of collective punishment prominent in the first and primarily second Intifadas, the Israeli army took over three buildings in the Hebron-area town of Halhul Wednesday morning.
Israeli officers delivered orders to the three Palestinian families early this morning, orders stating the homes are being taken over for military purposes.
The homes are situated in different areas of Halhul. Taken over was a three-storey home belonging to Mohammed Za’roor located in western Halhul, on the road between the town and the nearby villages of Kharas and Souref. Also taken over was a home to 30 people, owned by the family of Kamila Mireb and located at the northern entrance to Halhul, as well as a three-storey building in the western entrance to the town.
The Halhul municipality, along with several organisations in the town, emphasise that Israel’s return to this policy of collective punishment violates the right to family life and private property, among other human rights, whilst the homes taken over are inevitably subject to vandalism while the neighbours are intimidated.
Israeli troops arrested more than 20 Palestinians in the Hebron area during detention raids early Tuesday. Palestinian media reports that Palestinians were detained in the towns of Beit Ummar, Halhul and Dura, as well as in Hebron itself.
And on Monday Israeli forces shot and injured nine Palestinians with rubber-coated steel bullets during clashes in downtown Hebron. One of the injured was hit in the head and his condition is defined as critical. During the clashes, which took place in the Bab al-Zawiya area situated between the Israeli and Palestinian controlled parts of Hebron, Palestinian youth threw rocks and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers, who responded by firing rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas.