21 feb 2020
A volunteer with B’Tselem’s camera distribution project captured the incident on video.
Hamzah’s mother, Kamilya Wahadin, 47, and his uncle, Muhammad Wahadin, 58, went to the scene of the incident after hearing from children in the village that soldiers had taken Hamzah away. They talked with the soldiers and tried unsuccessfully to persuade them to release him.
The soldiers drove Sabarneh and Wahadin to an army base in the settlement of Carmei Tzur. Sabarneh was held there until 7:00 P.M. without a bathroom break and then driven, handcuffed and blindfolded, to the entrance to his village. From there, a man from the village drove him home.
Wahadin was driven from Carmei Tzur about an hour after arrival to a facility – no one bothered to tell him where it was – where he was put in a cell with two other Palestinians. The next day, in the afternoon, a military jeep drove him, handcuffed and blindfolded, to the entrance to the Beit Ummar. From there, a resident drove him home.
While the two were in custody, their parents ran around, trying to find out what had happened to them. They were sent from one place to another and no one bothered to inform them where their children were being held.
The violent arrest of these boys is not an unusual incident. The violent routine of occupation that Israel imposes on the village includes repeated confrontations with security forces, and arrests. The only purpose of holding the two boys, handcuffed and blindfolded, for any time at all – if it can be called a “purpose” – was to humiliate and intimidate them.
The same goes for leaving their parents in the dark. The reality described here is one aspect of the ongoing oppression that the Israeli occupation enforces on Palestinians in the West Bank.
– B’Tselem field researcher Musa Abu Hashhash collected testimonies from the children and their relatives:
The following is Hamzah Wahadin’s testimony;
“One of the soldiers grabbed me by the back of my coat, and I saw another soldier grab ‘Abdallah. They tied my hands behind my back and covered my eyes. I saw them tie ‘Abdallah’s hands, too. They drove us in a military jeep to the army base at Carmei Tzur, where they had us get out of the car and sit on chairs. I was there for an hour, maybe a bit longer.
Then the soldiers covered my eyes again and drove me somewhere, I don’t know where. A soldier questioned me there. It was dark. He asked whether I’d thrown stones and about the people who’d thrown stones with me. I said: “I don’t know them”. He questioned me for about 10 minutes and then took me to the infirmary. The military doctor there asked me whether I had any illnesses and filled out some form. Then they put me in a cell with two older detainees, maybe 18 or 19 years old. They said they were from Beit Ummar too.
At around 7:00 P.M., a soldier brought me a meal that consisted of a tomato, a cucumber, a tub of sour cream and a teaspoon. I ate, talked with them [the two other detainees] a little and then went to sleep. In the morning, I had breakfast, which was more or less the same, and stayed in the cell until midday.
The soldiers brought me lunch, but I didn’t eat it. After that, they took us out to the yard for a half-hour break and then took us back to the cell. I was scared. It was the first time I’d ever been arrested, and I didn’t know how long they’d hold me there. I was there until about 6:00 P.M. and then they tied my hands, covered my eyes and drove me somewhere in a military jeep. When they let me out and took off the handcuffs and blindfold, I found myself at the entrance to Beit Ummar. Someone from the village drove me home. I felt so relieved.
By the time I got home, I was starving. I had dinner, and then some friends came over. I sat with them a bit and went to bed.”
In the following testimony, Hamzah’s mother, Kamilya Wahadin, recounted what she and her husband went through until their son was released;
“At around 4:00 P.M., some kids from the neighborhood came to our house and told me soldiers had taken Hamzah to the settlement of Carmei Tzur. I went there immediately with my brother-in-law, Muhammad. When we got to the entrance to the settlement, we saw soldiers leading Hamzah and another kid, whose name, I later learned, is ‘Abdallah Sabarneh and is younger than my son. They were both standing behind the settlement gate, with soldiers and several military jeeps around them. Muhammad tried to persuade the soldiers to let Hamzah go and said he was just a little boy, but they paid no attention.
A short while later, the soldiers put both kids in a military jeep that drove into the settlement. I stayed put until my husband got there. He, too, tried to talk to the soldiers who stayed there and were standing on the other side of the gate. We stayed there with a few other people from the village until about 7:00 P.M., because one of the soldiers said they’d let them go. We hoped they’d bring them to the gate. When that didn’t happen, we went back home. It was very cold.
I was very worried about my son, because I had no idea what was going on with him. In the evening, when I learned ‘Abdallah Sabarneh had been released, that got me even more worried. At around 11:00 P.M., some Israeli who didn’t give his name called me and said that Hamzah was the police station in Beitar. My husband drove there right away, but he found out Hamzah was actually at Ofer Prison, where he could only go the next day.
We didn’t sleep a wink that night.
In the morning, my husband went to Ofer, and the soldiers told him he had to pay 500 shekels bail at Qalandia checkpoint. He went to Qalandia but the office was closed, and he learned he could only pay on Sunday. From there, he went again to Ofer, because he thought they’d take Hamzah to court and he wanted to see him. He waited there for a long time, but they didn’t bring Hamzah. In the late afternoon, a lawyer who works for a human rights organization said they were going to release him at al-‘Arrub Refugee Camp, so my husband went there. He waited there until he found out they’d taken Hamzah to the village.
Hamzah got home around 7:00 P.M., and my husband got back soon after. We went through 24 hours of worry and heartache. My husband spent an entire day and night traveling around between Beit Ummar, Beitar, Ofer and Qalandia with no information about our son.”
The following is ‘Abdallah Sabarneh’s testimony;
“I kept crying, and one of the soldiers told me to be quiet. The jeep drove off, but I didn’t know where we were going. Then the soldiers let us out at the army base at the settlement of Carmei Tzur. They led us into a room and sat us down on chairs. While we were sitting there, one of the soldiers came over to me and said: “You son of a bitch”.
I was there for hours, and I cried the whole time. I asked to go to the bathroom several times, but the soldier didn’t let me go. It was really tough.
At around 7:30 P.M., a soldier took me out of the room. I asked where he was taking me, and he said I was being released. While they held me, I was very scared and was afraid they’d keep me for a long time. I kept crying, because the blindfold was too tight and because the soldier wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom.
‘Abdallah’s grandfather, Ibrahim Sabarneh, 68, a married father of nine, relates how he ran around with his son to try and locate his grandson;
On 30 January 2020, in the late afternoon, my son Fahed called and said soldiers had arrested ‘Abdallah near the settlement of Carmei Tzur. He asked me to help look for him.
We thought the soldiers had taken ‘Abdallah to Etzion and we got there around 5:00 P.M. We stood at the gate, and a soldier told us ‘Abdallah wasn’t there. We asked a police officer in a patrol car that drove up to the gate and he said he’d look into it. Then another patrol car drove up and we asked again.
About half an hour later, one of the police officers returned and told us ‘Abdallah wasn’t there and that we had to go to the police station in the settlement of Beitar near the village of Husan and ask there. We drove there, but they told us they didn’t have ‘Abdallah, either, and suggested we go back to Etzion and ask the Civil Administration there.
We drove to the Civil Administration and asked the soldier at the information desk. She told us to wait there while she checked. We waited in the room until about 8:00 P.M. without any answer, even though I went over to her several times. Then Fahed’s wife suddenly called and told him ‘Abdallah was home.
When we got home, I saw ‘Abdallah was scared. He told us he’d cried the whole time and had been very frightened. His parents and I tried to calm him down.”
Hamzah’s mother, Kamilya Wahadin, 47, and his uncle, Muhammad Wahadin, 58, went to the scene of the incident after hearing from children in the village that soldiers had taken Hamzah away. They talked with the soldiers and tried unsuccessfully to persuade them to release him.
The soldiers drove Sabarneh and Wahadin to an army base in the settlement of Carmei Tzur. Sabarneh was held there until 7:00 P.M. without a bathroom break and then driven, handcuffed and blindfolded, to the entrance to his village. From there, a man from the village drove him home.
Wahadin was driven from Carmei Tzur about an hour after arrival to a facility – no one bothered to tell him where it was – where he was put in a cell with two other Palestinians. The next day, in the afternoon, a military jeep drove him, handcuffed and blindfolded, to the entrance to the Beit Ummar. From there, a resident drove him home.
While the two were in custody, their parents ran around, trying to find out what had happened to them. They were sent from one place to another and no one bothered to inform them where their children were being held.
The violent arrest of these boys is not an unusual incident. The violent routine of occupation that Israel imposes on the village includes repeated confrontations with security forces, and arrests. The only purpose of holding the two boys, handcuffed and blindfolded, for any time at all – if it can be called a “purpose” – was to humiliate and intimidate them.
The same goes for leaving their parents in the dark. The reality described here is one aspect of the ongoing oppression that the Israeli occupation enforces on Palestinians in the West Bank.
– B’Tselem field researcher Musa Abu Hashhash collected testimonies from the children and their relatives:
The following is Hamzah Wahadin’s testimony;
“One of the soldiers grabbed me by the back of my coat, and I saw another soldier grab ‘Abdallah. They tied my hands behind my back and covered my eyes. I saw them tie ‘Abdallah’s hands, too. They drove us in a military jeep to the army base at Carmei Tzur, where they had us get out of the car and sit on chairs. I was there for an hour, maybe a bit longer.
Then the soldiers covered my eyes again and drove me somewhere, I don’t know where. A soldier questioned me there. It was dark. He asked whether I’d thrown stones and about the people who’d thrown stones with me. I said: “I don’t know them”. He questioned me for about 10 minutes and then took me to the infirmary. The military doctor there asked me whether I had any illnesses and filled out some form. Then they put me in a cell with two older detainees, maybe 18 or 19 years old. They said they were from Beit Ummar too.
At around 7:00 P.M., a soldier brought me a meal that consisted of a tomato, a cucumber, a tub of sour cream and a teaspoon. I ate, talked with them [the two other detainees] a little and then went to sleep. In the morning, I had breakfast, which was more or less the same, and stayed in the cell until midday.
The soldiers brought me lunch, but I didn’t eat it. After that, they took us out to the yard for a half-hour break and then took us back to the cell. I was scared. It was the first time I’d ever been arrested, and I didn’t know how long they’d hold me there. I was there until about 6:00 P.M. and then they tied my hands, covered my eyes and drove me somewhere in a military jeep. When they let me out and took off the handcuffs and blindfold, I found myself at the entrance to Beit Ummar. Someone from the village drove me home. I felt so relieved.
By the time I got home, I was starving. I had dinner, and then some friends came over. I sat with them a bit and went to bed.”
In the following testimony, Hamzah’s mother, Kamilya Wahadin, recounted what she and her husband went through until their son was released;
“At around 4:00 P.M., some kids from the neighborhood came to our house and told me soldiers had taken Hamzah to the settlement of Carmei Tzur. I went there immediately with my brother-in-law, Muhammad. When we got to the entrance to the settlement, we saw soldiers leading Hamzah and another kid, whose name, I later learned, is ‘Abdallah Sabarneh and is younger than my son. They were both standing behind the settlement gate, with soldiers and several military jeeps around them. Muhammad tried to persuade the soldiers to let Hamzah go and said he was just a little boy, but they paid no attention.
A short while later, the soldiers put both kids in a military jeep that drove into the settlement. I stayed put until my husband got there. He, too, tried to talk to the soldiers who stayed there and were standing on the other side of the gate. We stayed there with a few other people from the village until about 7:00 P.M., because one of the soldiers said they’d let them go. We hoped they’d bring them to the gate. When that didn’t happen, we went back home. It was very cold.
I was very worried about my son, because I had no idea what was going on with him. In the evening, when I learned ‘Abdallah Sabarneh had been released, that got me even more worried. At around 11:00 P.M., some Israeli who didn’t give his name called me and said that Hamzah was the police station in Beitar. My husband drove there right away, but he found out Hamzah was actually at Ofer Prison, where he could only go the next day.
We didn’t sleep a wink that night.
In the morning, my husband went to Ofer, and the soldiers told him he had to pay 500 shekels bail at Qalandia checkpoint. He went to Qalandia but the office was closed, and he learned he could only pay on Sunday. From there, he went again to Ofer, because he thought they’d take Hamzah to court and he wanted to see him. He waited there for a long time, but they didn’t bring Hamzah. In the late afternoon, a lawyer who works for a human rights organization said they were going to release him at al-‘Arrub Refugee Camp, so my husband went there. He waited there until he found out they’d taken Hamzah to the village.
Hamzah got home around 7:00 P.M., and my husband got back soon after. We went through 24 hours of worry and heartache. My husband spent an entire day and night traveling around between Beit Ummar, Beitar, Ofer and Qalandia with no information about our son.”
The following is ‘Abdallah Sabarneh’s testimony;
“I kept crying, and one of the soldiers told me to be quiet. The jeep drove off, but I didn’t know where we were going. Then the soldiers let us out at the army base at the settlement of Carmei Tzur. They led us into a room and sat us down on chairs. While we were sitting there, one of the soldiers came over to me and said: “You son of a bitch”.
I was there for hours, and I cried the whole time. I asked to go to the bathroom several times, but the soldier didn’t let me go. It was really tough.
At around 7:30 P.M., a soldier took me out of the room. I asked where he was taking me, and he said I was being released. While they held me, I was very scared and was afraid they’d keep me for a long time. I kept crying, because the blindfold was too tight and because the soldier wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom.
‘Abdallah’s grandfather, Ibrahim Sabarneh, 68, a married father of nine, relates how he ran around with his son to try and locate his grandson;
On 30 January 2020, in the late afternoon, my son Fahed called and said soldiers had arrested ‘Abdallah near the settlement of Carmei Tzur. He asked me to help look for him.
We thought the soldiers had taken ‘Abdallah to Etzion and we got there around 5:00 P.M. We stood at the gate, and a soldier told us ‘Abdallah wasn’t there. We asked a police officer in a patrol car that drove up to the gate and he said he’d look into it. Then another patrol car drove up and we asked again.
About half an hour later, one of the police officers returned and told us ‘Abdallah wasn’t there and that we had to go to the police station in the settlement of Beitar near the village of Husan and ask there. We drove there, but they told us they didn’t have ‘Abdallah, either, and suggested we go back to Etzion and ask the Civil Administration there.
We drove to the Civil Administration and asked the soldier at the information desk. She told us to wait there while she checked. We waited in the room until about 8:00 P.M. without any answer, even though I went over to her several times. Then Fahed’s wife suddenly called and told him ‘Abdallah was home.
When we got home, I saw ‘Abdallah was scared. He told us he’d cried the whole time and had been very frightened. His parents and I tried to calm him down.”

Israeli soldiers abducted, on Friday evening, a Palestinian child and a wounded young man, in Qalqilia and Hebron, in the northern and southern parts of the occupied West Bank.
Media sources said the soldiers abducted a child, identified as Mohammad Ibrahim Jo’eidi, 12, at the southern entrance of Qalqilia city.
They added that the soldiers invaded the area and attacked protesters with rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, and concussion grenades.
In addition, the soldiers invaded the al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron, and fired rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, concussion grenades and several rounds of live ammunition at Palestinians protesting the invasion. video
One Palestinian was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the leg, before the soldiers abducted him and took him to an unknown destination.
Media sources said the soldiers abducted a child, identified as Mohammad Ibrahim Jo’eidi, 12, at the southern entrance of Qalqilia city.
They added that the soldiers invaded the area and attacked protesters with rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, and concussion grenades.
In addition, the soldiers invaded the al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron, and fired rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, concussion grenades and several rounds of live ammunition at Palestinians protesting the invasion. video
One Palestinian was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the leg, before the soldiers abducted him and took him to an unknown destination.

Israeli police today detained a Palestinian woman near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabbir.
Witnesses confirmed that police detained the woman, who remained unidentified, amid the presence of paramedics.
Israeli media claimed the woman was arrested purportedly for attempting to stab an Israeli passer-by with a knife in the so-called East Talpiot colonial settlement.
WAFA posted a viral video showing the woman wrestled to the ground before being arrested by police.
No injuries were reported though in the alleged stabbing attempt.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged stabbing attempt remain unclear and largely based on the Israeli version of events.
Though Israeli military has claimed that Palestinians were allegedly attempting to carry out attacks, in a majority of instances when Palestinians were killed human rights groups have disputed Israel’s version of events, arguing that many alleged attackers could have been subdued in a non-lethal manner.
Video footages for previous alleged attacks appear to disapprove Israeli military claims, showing alleged Palestinian attackers did not even attempt to carry out any attacks.
Some footages showed Israeli forces manipulating the crime scene following such killings.
Witnesses confirmed that police detained the woman, who remained unidentified, amid the presence of paramedics.
Israeli media claimed the woman was arrested purportedly for attempting to stab an Israeli passer-by with a knife in the so-called East Talpiot colonial settlement.
WAFA posted a viral video showing the woman wrestled to the ground before being arrested by police.
No injuries were reported though in the alleged stabbing attempt.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged stabbing attempt remain unclear and largely based on the Israeli version of events.
Though Israeli military has claimed that Palestinians were allegedly attempting to carry out attacks, in a majority of instances when Palestinians were killed human rights groups have disputed Israel’s version of events, arguing that many alleged attackers could have been subdued in a non-lethal manner.
Video footages for previous alleged attacks appear to disapprove Israeli military claims, showing alleged Palestinian attackers did not even attempt to carry out any attacks.
Some footages showed Israeli forces manipulating the crime scene following such killings.

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday evening arrested a Palestinian man in Jenin and clashed with Palestinian citizens injuring a number of them in al-Khalil in the West Bank.
Local sources said that the IOF arrested ex-detainee Adnan Nazzal, a resident of Qabatia town south of Jenin, at a checkpoint near Nablus.
Meanwhile, the IOF stormed al-Arroub refugee camp north of al-Khalil and clashes with Palestinian residents.
Local sources said that a number of Palestinian citizens were injured as the IOF attacked them with rubber-coated metal bullets, stun grenades and tear gas canisters.
Local sources said that the IOF arrested ex-detainee Adnan Nazzal, a resident of Qabatia town south of Jenin, at a checkpoint near Nablus.
Meanwhile, the IOF stormed al-Arroub refugee camp north of al-Khalil and clashes with Palestinian residents.
Local sources said that a number of Palestinian citizens were injured as the IOF attacked them with rubber-coated metal bullets, stun grenades and tear gas canisters.

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday night opened fire at a Palestinian car in Beitin village in Ramallah district injuring the driver, according to Israeli media sources.
Palestinian sources reported that the IOF opened fire at a Palestinian car passing near Beitin village, east of Ramallah City, injuring Mohammed Serma, 16, who was driving the car.
Serma, who suffered bullet injuries in the abdomen and the thigh, was transferred by an Israeli ambulance to a hospital in Jerusalem.
The same sources said that the IOF arrested three boys who were inside the attacked car along with Serma. The detainees were identified as Mahmoud Awawdeh, 15, Saif el-Din Awawdeh, 15, and Diaa el-Din Awawdeh, 15, and all of them are residents of Deir Dibwan village east of Ramallah.
Israeli website "0404" claimed that the IOF opened fire at the car after the driver was suspected of attempting to run over Israeli soldiers, adding that he was shot in the upper limbs and later transferred to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Palestinian sources reported that the IOF opened fire at a Palestinian car passing near Beitin village, east of Ramallah City, injuring Mohammed Serma, 16, who was driving the car.
Serma, who suffered bullet injuries in the abdomen and the thigh, was transferred by an Israeli ambulance to a hospital in Jerusalem.
The same sources said that the IOF arrested three boys who were inside the attacked car along with Serma. The detainees were identified as Mahmoud Awawdeh, 15, Saif el-Din Awawdeh, 15, and Diaa el-Din Awawdeh, 15, and all of them are residents of Deir Dibwan village east of Ramallah.
Israeli website "0404" claimed that the IOF opened fire at the car after the driver was suspected of attempting to run over Israeli soldiers, adding that he was shot in the upper limbs and later transferred to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

In a report issued, on Thursday, the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Authority released the testimony of the prisoner, Halima Khandakji, 45, from the town of Deir Sudan, Ramallah District, in which she tells details of her torture during interrogation inside the occupation detention cells.
The report says “During her interrogation, she was hung to the wall twice, by handcuffing her hands and feet and then attaching her to the wall, she was also denied use of the bathroom, in addition to being mocked and insulted.”
The report states that the prisoner Khandakji is the mother of three children whom remains detained at this time, is currently suffering from severe back, hands and leg pains due to the torture and abuse she suffered during interrogation, the Palestine News Network (PNN) reported.
The report says “During her interrogation, she was hung to the wall twice, by handcuffing her hands and feet and then attaching her to the wall, she was also denied use of the bathroom, in addition to being mocked and insulted.”
The report states that the prisoner Khandakji is the mother of three children whom remains detained at this time, is currently suffering from severe back, hands and leg pains due to the torture and abuse she suffered during interrogation, the Palestine News Network (PNN) reported.
20 feb 2020

Israeli forces today detained 10 Palestinians, including a mother of a toddler, in multiple raids across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS).
It said an army unit raided Halhul town, in the south of the West Bank, and detained Rimah Mohammad Sultan, 25, mother of a one-and-half-year-old baby.
Israeli forces also rounded up three Palestinians, including former prisoners, from the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Silwan and Issawiya.
In Ramallah district, Israeli military stormed Beit Rima, northwest of Ramallah, where the soldiers detained two Palestinian brothers.
In the northern West Bank, Israeli forces detained a 54-year-old man who spent 19 years in Israeli jails.
In Salfit district, soldiers detained a man in Deir Istiya village.
A Palestinian youth was also detained from the town of Anata and another from Ezariyeh, both in the Jerusalem district.
It said an army unit raided Halhul town, in the south of the West Bank, and detained Rimah Mohammad Sultan, 25, mother of a one-and-half-year-old baby.
Israeli forces also rounded up three Palestinians, including former prisoners, from the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Silwan and Issawiya.
In Ramallah district, Israeli military stormed Beit Rima, northwest of Ramallah, where the soldiers detained two Palestinian brothers.
In the northern West Bank, Israeli forces detained a 54-year-old man who spent 19 years in Israeli jails.
In Salfit district, soldiers detained a man in Deir Istiya village.
A Palestinian youth was also detained from the town of Anata and another from Ezariyeh, both in the Jerusalem district.

Mother of a Palestinian prisoner in Israel was denied today the right to visit her son in prison, reported WAFA correspondent.
He said that Israeli soldiers manning a checkpoint northwest of Ramallah stopped Amneh Abu Diak, from Silat al-Daher village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, as she was on her way to visit her son, Samer, who has served 15 years out of a life sentence, at Ramle prison in central Israel and was told she cannot proceed with the visit.
He said the soldiers turned Abu Diak back after taking the long trip from her village since early this morning to visit one of two of her sons imprisoned for resisting the occupation.
A third son, Sami Abu Diak, died in prison last November 26 of medical negligence.
He said that Israeli soldiers manning a checkpoint northwest of Ramallah stopped Amneh Abu Diak, from Silat al-Daher village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, as she was on her way to visit her son, Samer, who has served 15 years out of a life sentence, at Ramle prison in central Israel and was told she cannot proceed with the visit.
He said the soldiers turned Abu Diak back after taking the long trip from her village since early this morning to visit one of two of her sons imprisoned for resisting the occupation.
A third son, Sami Abu Diak, died in prison last November 26 of medical negligence.

The Israeli Supreme Court today gave the go-ahead to demolish the Ramallah-area family homes of five Palestinian detainees allegedly involved in the killing of a settler in late August 2019.
Israeli media reported that the Israeli court unanimously approved the demolition despite multiple petitions filed by the prisoners’ families against the demolition.
The court explained its approval by the need to “establish credible deterrence against attacks.”
Israel commenced in January the trial of the five prisoners, who were detained in December purportedly for being responsible for the killing of an Israeli settler in an attack at Ein Bunin natural spring near the Ramallah-area village of Ras Karkar.
Israel resorts to punitively demolish homes of Palestinians accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not apply to Israeli Jews involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.
The policy was widely condemned by human rights groups as “a collective punishment” and “a war crime and crime against humanity”.
Israeli media reported that the Israeli court unanimously approved the demolition despite multiple petitions filed by the prisoners’ families against the demolition.
The court explained its approval by the need to “establish credible deterrence against attacks.”
Israel commenced in January the trial of the five prisoners, who were detained in December purportedly for being responsible for the killing of an Israeli settler in an attack at Ein Bunin natural spring near the Ramallah-area village of Ras Karkar.
Israel resorts to punitively demolish homes of Palestinians accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not apply to Israeli Jews involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.
The policy was widely condemned by human rights groups as “a collective punishment” and “a war crime and crime against humanity”.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Thursday kidnaped senior Hamas official Ra’fat Nasif, 55, from his home in Tulkarem city about four months after his release from an Israeli jail.
According to local sources, the IOF stormed the house of Nasif in the southern neighborhood of Tulkarem and rounded him up, with no reason.
Nasif has been arrested and jailed several times before by the IOF. He spent a total of 19 years in detention, sometimes administratively with no trial or indictment.
According to local sources, the IOF stormed the house of Nasif in the southern neighborhood of Tulkarem and rounded him up, with no reason.
Nasif has been arrested and jailed several times before by the IOF. He spent a total of 19 years in detention, sometimes administratively with no trial or indictment.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday evening kidnaped four Palestinian citizens, including two children, in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
According to local sources, the IOF broke into and ransacked a house in Bir Ernah area in Beit Jala city, west of Bethlehem, and kidnaped two children from the family of Faraj. They were identified as the brothers, Mansour, 12, and Muntaser, 13.
In Jerusalem, Israeli police forces kidnaped a young man called Abdullah Harbawi from as-Saadiya neighborhood in the Old City.
Another young man identified as Mohamed Abu Farha was kidnaped from his home in Bab Hitta neighborhood in the Old City.
Soldiers Abduct Two Sibling Children In Beit Jala
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday evening, two sibling children from Beit Jala city, west of Bethlehem, south of occupied East Jerusalem in the West Bank.
Media sources said the soldiers invaded Beit Jala before storming and ransacking the family home of the two children, causing excessive damage, and abducted them.
They added that the two children have been identified as Mansour Saleh Faraj, 12, and his brother Montaser, 13.
According to local sources, the IOF broke into and ransacked a house in Bir Ernah area in Beit Jala city, west of Bethlehem, and kidnaped two children from the family of Faraj. They were identified as the brothers, Mansour, 12, and Muntaser, 13.
In Jerusalem, Israeli police forces kidnaped a young man called Abdullah Harbawi from as-Saadiya neighborhood in the Old City.
Another young man identified as Mohamed Abu Farha was kidnaped from his home in Bab Hitta neighborhood in the Old City.
Soldiers Abduct Two Sibling Children In Beit Jala
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday evening, two sibling children from Beit Jala city, west of Bethlehem, south of occupied East Jerusalem in the West Bank.
Media sources said the soldiers invaded Beit Jala before storming and ransacking the family home of the two children, causing excessive damage, and abducted them.
They added that the two children have been identified as Mansour Saleh Faraj, 12, and his brother Montaser, 13.

The Israeli occupation authorities transferred Palestinian prisoner suffering from cancer, Muwaffaq Arouq, 77, from Barzilai Medical Center, back to al-Ramleh prison clinic, despite his deteriorated health condition.
Commission of Detainees’ Affairs said in a statement, on Wednesday, that Arouq was transferred from Barzilai Medical Center, a 617-bed hospital in Ashkelon, southern Israel, just two weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery to remove a tumor.
Arouq, detained by Israeli forces in 2003, is serving a 30 year sentence, and is one of the oldest Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, Alray reports.
The commission warned of the aggravated health condition of prisoner, stating that Arouq is in need of urgent specialized medical care, calling for his immediate release from Israeli jail.
Prisoner Arouk discharged from hospital despite his health suffering
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs said that the Israeli prison service (IPS) transferred cancer-stricken prisoner Muwafaq Arouk, 77, from Barzilai Hospital to the Ramla prison infirmary with no regard for his serious health condition.
According to the Commission on Wednesday, prisoner Arouk was transferred to the Ramla jail two weeks after he was taken to Barzilai Hospital where he underwent major surgery for the removal of an intestinal tumor and his stomach.
The Commission warned that the health condition of prisoner Arouk could reach a life-threatening stage because of his age and his need for specialized care following the surgery, calling on Israeli jailers to release him immediately.
Arouk, a 77-year-old from the 1984 occupied lands, has been in jail since 2003, serving a 30-year term.
There are about 10 patients in Israeli jails suffering from different types of cancer.
Commission of Detainees’ Affairs said in a statement, on Wednesday, that Arouq was transferred from Barzilai Medical Center, a 617-bed hospital in Ashkelon, southern Israel, just two weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery to remove a tumor.
Arouq, detained by Israeli forces in 2003, is serving a 30 year sentence, and is one of the oldest Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, Alray reports.
The commission warned of the aggravated health condition of prisoner, stating that Arouq is in need of urgent specialized medical care, calling for his immediate release from Israeli jail.
Prisoner Arouk discharged from hospital despite his health suffering
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs said that the Israeli prison service (IPS) transferred cancer-stricken prisoner Muwafaq Arouk, 77, from Barzilai Hospital to the Ramla prison infirmary with no regard for his serious health condition.
According to the Commission on Wednesday, prisoner Arouk was transferred to the Ramla jail two weeks after he was taken to Barzilai Hospital where he underwent major surgery for the removal of an intestinal tumor and his stomach.
The Commission warned that the health condition of prisoner Arouk could reach a life-threatening stage because of his age and his need for specialized care following the surgery, calling on Israeli jailers to release him immediately.
Arouk, a 77-year-old from the 1984 occupied lands, has been in jail since 2003, serving a 30-year term.
There are about 10 patients in Israeli jails suffering from different types of cancer.