Israel demolished the homes of two suspected Palestinian militants today as it prepared to expel three relatives of suicide bombers.
Last month, Israel began targeting the families of Palestinian bombers in the hope of deterring future attacks. Twenty homes have been destroyed and yesterday a military court approved the expulsion of three relatives of suicide bombers from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip.
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A Palestinian boy has his hands cuffed during a demonstration in Gaza City to demand freedom for prisoners held by Israel Photo: Reuters
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The expulsion order against the three relatives of suicide bombers was to take effect later today but defence lawyers said they would appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat condemned the planned expulsion as a "crime".
"The decision to deport the families of our martyrs is a crime we cannot remain silent over," he told reporters. "This is against all laws, international and humanitarian.
"We will take measures to answer this step," he said, without saying what the Palestinians would do.
The decision to send the three to Gaza marked the first time a legal body has ruled that Palestinians suspected of involvement in attacks can be expelled.
Human rights activists argue the moves constitute collective punishment, violate international law and do not deter future attacks.
The steps "are not only immoral and cruel and violate the Geneva Conventions but they will bring about the opposite result, the creation of more suicide bombers," said Mr Dan Yakir, head of the Israeli Civil Rights Association. "We have here a double, triple punishment in the cruelest form".
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The houses destroyed today were both in the southern West Bank. One belonged to a Palestinian suspected of firing at soldiers in Beersheva, killing two. The other belonged to a suicide bomber who blew himself up in May in Rishon Letzion, south of Tel Aviv, killing two bystanders, the army said.
AP