Jerusalem (AP) — The Israeli army said on Tuesday it demolished the home of a Palestinian involved in an attack in Tel Aviv that killed one and wounded two others in March.
Video footage of the attack shows a man the army says was Moataz Khawaja, 23, shooting three men from behind, including one in the head — in one of Tel Aviv’s busiest streets — before being shot and killed by Israeli police. Hamas claimed him as a member of its armed wing.
On Tuesday, the army destroyed Khawaja’s home in the town of Naalin, northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The army said people burned tires, threw stones and shot fireworks at Israeli forces who were razing the site.
Israel demolishes the homes of attackers in an attempt to deter others, a tactic critics say amounts to collective punishment.
Khawaja’s attack came after months of relentless violence in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has been conducting near-nightly raids in response to Palestinian attacks against Israelis. The demolition follows a deadly five-day burst of fighting between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip.
