The Israeli army is continuing to demolish, and threaten to demolish the homes of Palestinians who the Israeli army claims has been, or might in the future be involved in attacks against Israelis. This is one of the latest and cruel developments in Israel's policy of collectively punishing Palestinians for acts they have not committed.

On Thursday 22 August, the Thabet family in the village of Ramin, located between Nablus and Tulkarem received threats from the Israeli army that their house might be demolished. According to Jamil Thabet, two Israeli military jeeps arrived at the Thabet family house in the center of the village on Thursday:

"The soldiers said they were looking for my nephew, Maslama Thabet . My nephew hasn't been sleeping in his father's house for a long time as he is afraid that the Israeli army will come and kill him as has happened to many young men here without any apparent reason. After I told the army that Maslama was not here, they started to inspect by brother's house which is located next to mine. We are three brothers and we live side by side. The soldiers went into the house where they measured the main pillar and took pictures of it. They said they would need a lot of explosives to take it down. After this, the soldiers went outside and continued to measure the house. One of them called an engineer to come and assist them. In the end I heard them say that the best way was to "take this one down with bulldozers" hitting from one of the corners. Before they left they said that we have to bring Maslama to the DCO or the house will be demolished. The next day was Friday and curfew in Tulkarem, so of course we could not get to the DCO and we don't know where Maslama is anyway. Now we are afraid that they will come back with bulldozers to demolish the house".

Jamil and Abdallah are brothers of Dr. Thabet Thabet who was extra-judicially executed outside his home in Tulkarem on 31 December 2000. Dr. Thabet was one of the first Palestinians to be assassinated by Israeli troops during this Intifada. Now the Israeli army is seeking to further persecute the Thabet family.

Since 19 July 2002, more than 25 Palestinian homes have been demolished as a punitive measure in what the Israeli army believes will deter Palestinian resistance. What the Israeli do not take into consideration is the illegality of collective punishment and destruction of private property nor do they consider simply the immorality of destroying the home and all private belongings of innocent people.

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