Israel court okays destruction of Palestinian homes

Israel's supreme court on Thursday gave its green light to the destruction of five homes belonging to Palestinians accused of taking part in deadly anti-Israeli attacks, the justice ministry said.

Three of the homes are located in the West Bank town of Nablus, belonging to the alleged killers of a Jewish settler couple shot dead in front of their children on October 1, triggering a wave of violence that spread to annexed east Jerusalem and Israel.

The two other West Bank homes, near Ramallah and in the Qalandiya refugee camp, were linked to murders dating back to June.

On October 22, the supreme court had suspended the army's planned demolitions of several Palestinian homes, including the five cleared on Thursday.

Rights group condemn home demolitions as "disproportionate", causing hardship for entire families, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they are "one of the most efficient tools" in discouraging Palestinian attacks.
Source: AFP