Israeli army demolishes family home of Palestinian teen attacker

Soldiers razed Mohamed Dar Youssef's West Bank home after he stabbed to death an Israeli father in a nearby settlement last month

An Israeli bulldozer destroys the West Bank home of a Palestinian who stabbed to death an Israeli citizen Image: Israeli army (Israeli army )

The Israeli military has demolished the family home of a Palestinian teenager who stabbed to death an Israeli settler and was later shot dead during the attack last month.

Footage shared by the military showed soldiers in a late night raid accompanying a bulldozer as it tore down the building in the village of Kobar, north of the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

Scuffles erupted between the Palestinians opposed to demolition and the soldiers, according to both the military and witnesses.

The army reported that dozens of Palestinians hurled rocks, firebombs and pipe bombs at troops, who in turn “responded with riot dispersal means”.

Mohammed Tareq Ibraham Dar Youssef, 17, entered the nearby settlement of Adam on 26 July, and stabbed three people, killing Yotam Ovadia, 31, a father-of-two and seriously wounding a 58-year-old man. A third injured man subsequently shot the Palestinian, killing him, according to the Israeli military.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Twitter on Tuesday he had kept the promise made to Mr Ovadia’s widow to destroy the house quickly, adding: “tonight that circle was closed”.

Lt Colonel Liron Appleman, commander of the battalion that oversaw the operation, said in a video shared by the army that the house demolition was part of a month-long operation to “thwart terror” in the area.

“It is important to know that we will continue operating accurately and sharply wherever we’re needed,” he added.

Dar Youssef's family, however, said demolishing their home amounted to “collective punishment “.

Khaled Abu Ayyoush, Dar Youssef’s uncle, said the teenager’s parents, two brothers and two sisters had lived in the now destroyed house and had known nothing of Dar Youssef’s intention to carry out an attack.

"Why are they at fault? Israel's continued policy of collective punishment is merciless," said Mr Abu Ayyoush, adding that it did not take into account that Dar Yosusef was under 18 years old.

Israel's Supreme Court has upheld the country’s controversial demolition policy as a deterrent to potential attackers, although it has been criticised by some Israeli officials and rights groups.

Palestinian attacks on Israelis, including stabbings and car-ramming, have become less frequent in the West Bank since their height in 2015. However, tensions have soared since December when US President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem, a contested city, to be the capital of Israel.

Palestinians maintain that Israel’s expansion of settlements into occupied territory undermines their right to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza. The building of settlements is illegal under international law.

Over the last few weeks, Israel has advanced plans to construct 2,000 new settlement units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including over 300 in Adam, a move the European Union and the UK said they “strongly opposed”.

The EU said in a statement released last week that the move was “illegal” and “if implemented, these plans would further jeopardise the prospect of a contiguous and viable future Palestinian state”.