The families of two men who carried out attacks against civilians will be punished for the actions of their relatives, said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday. Barak called for the demolition of the homes of the men's relatives, a move which was condemned by Israeli human rights group B'tselem as “a grave breach of international humanitarian law.”

The group added that punitive home demolitions, which constitute about 10% of the home demolitions carried out by the Israeli state (the other 90% are administrative demolitions), are “a clear case of collective punishment, which violates the principle that a person is not to be punished for the acts of another.”

 

The two men, Hussam Duwiyat and Alaa Abu Dhaim, both carried out attacks against Jewish civilians in Jerusalem, and both men were killed by Israeli forces during the course of their attacks. Duwiyat killed three Israeli civilians this past Wednesday using a bulldozer. Abu Dhaim attacked students at the extreme right religious school Mercaz Harav in March, killing eight.

 

Now, the Israeli Defense Minister has insisted on punishing the families of the two men, a practice that is policy under Israeli law, but is forbidden under international human rights standards. The demolition order by Barak comes a day after Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ruled that demolition of the homes of family members of people who attack Israelis is permissible under Israeli law.

 

But the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem urged the Israeli leadership “not to sacrifice justice and morality on the altar of revenge." The group has conducted numerous studies showing that the demolition of homes of family members of attackers does not deter future attacks, but has the opposite effect, fueling anger and resentment among those affected.

 

In at least one of the cases in question, the house of the family of Hussam Duwiyat, the home is in a building housing three other families, so punishing the Duwiyat family by destroying their home would inevitably make three other families homeless as well.

Palestinian sources reported on Friday at night that one Palestinian was wounded and four others went missing went a tunnel on the border between Rafah and Egypt collapsed during evening hours.

Medical sources reported that Mohammad Al Basthteeny, 23,  was moved to Abu Yousef Al Najjar Hospital in Rafah after suffocating while trying to save four residents who went missing under the rubble of the collapsed tunnel.

Al Bashteeny is in a serious condition while the fate of the four missing residents remains unknown.

So far, armed groups in Gaza did not make any statements regarding the incident. It is worth mentioning that some tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt borders are dug by smugglers while others are dug by fighters in order to smuggle arms and ammunition into the coastal region.

Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, stated that it suspended its indirect talks with Israel on the release of the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Palestinian fighters two years ago. Hamas said that this decision was made as Israel continues to violate the truce deal which was achieved through Egyptian mediation.

Usama Al Mazeeny, one of the political leaders of Hamas, said that Israel violated sections of the truce deal by not opening the crossings, and barring the entry of goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip.

“If the enemy is not committed to the truce deal, negotiations will just be a burden”, he stated, “These violations mean that the enemy will not be committed to any new deal”.

The Hamas leader also said that the goods which made it into the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the truce on June 19 are less than the minimum requirements”.

Delegates of Hamas where slated to arrive in Egypt in order to discuss truce and the issue of Shalit, but the movement said that Israel violated the truce, therefore, and the delegates cancelled their trip.

“The enemy is not committed to the truce deal”. Al Mazeeny stated, “How can we trust it’s committed to any deal which we might achieve”.

Hamas said that Israel must implement all the sections of the truce deal if it wants to hold talks on Shalit. Al Mazeeny stated that Hamas insists that Israel should in the first stage release 450 Palestinian detainees, who are sentenced to high terms if it wants Shalit to be freed.

He added that the released detainees should be members of different factions and should be from the occupied territories, Jerusalem and Arab residents of Israel.

Earlier, Hamas demanded Egypt to intervene in order to save the truce deal especially after Israel repeatedly closed the border terminals between leading to Gaza.

The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) reported that a Palestinian child was tortured by Israeli soldiers while arresting him and was also tortured in an Israeli prison during interrogation.

The child, Majid Jaradat, 13, was kidnapped by the army on November 13, 2007, after the soldiers claimed that he hurled stones at them during a demonstration in Sa’ir village, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

In his affidavit, Jaradat stated that he was severely beaten by the soldiers when they arrested him and that they kicked him on his back.

He added that the abuse continued after he was moved to Azion Police Station as he was beaten by the interrogators.  Following interrogation, Jaradat was moved to Ofer detention facility.

Jaradat was later on “convicted” of hurling stones at the soldiers and was sentenced to two months.

B’Tselem reported that since the beginning of the second intifada in late September 2000, Israeli soldiers kidnapped 350-400 underage Palestinians. By June 30 2008, 311 underage Palestinians were imprisoned by Israel.

B’Tselem stated that the International Law states that underage prisoners should be separated from adult prisoners, and added that underage Israeli prisoners are not confined with adult ones, but underage Palestinian detainees who are suspected of “committing security violations” whether convicted or not are subjected to violations and are imprisoned with adult prisoners.

The International Law states that underage detainees should receive special treatment and should e provided with their needs including being allowed to continue their educational process and receiving the needed social and psychological support, including family visitations.

The Israeli army attacked a peaceful protest organized by the villagers of Um Salamunah located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday morning; three protesters were kidnapped by the army.

Local sources said that scores of villagers supported by Israeli and international peace activists marched from the main entrance of the village heading towards the lands that are in danger of being confiscated due to the construction of the Wall.

The participants held Palestinian flags and banners condemning the Israeli actions of building of the wall and also calling for the unity among Palestinians.

Soldiers attacked the protesters and kidnapped three activists, one Israeli, and two Palestinian, and when other protesters tried to stop the jeep from taking them away troops forced the activists away, using riffle-butts and batons.

Protesters blocking Israeli jeeps in Um Salamunah on Friday – photo by Anne Paq - activestilles