Israel Demolishes West Bank Home of Palestinian Held in Settler's Killing

Israeli forces demolished the home of an imprisoned Palestinian man in the northern West Bank on Thursday, blowing up a three-story residence as explosions and bursts of fire rose from a nearby hillside.

The house belonged to Dawas Hassoun, who is accused of ramming his vehicle into an all-terrain vehicle and killing an 18-year-old settler on the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Beit Imrin. He was arrested and later indicted in the death of Yehuda Sherman.

Settler groups alleged that Hassoun deliberately drove his truck into the ATV, while he has maintained that the collision was an accident, according to Israeli and Palestinian media accounts. The Israeli military described the incident as an attack and said punitive home demolitions are a policy decision taken by the country's political leadership. Such demolitions can be carried out before a suspect has been tried or convicted.

After the demolition, residents gathered around the destroyed structure as Israeli military vehicles remained stationed in the area.

Sherman is among four Israelis killed by Palestinians in the West Bank this year. His death in March set off unrest across dozens of Palestinian villages, where Israeli settlers set fires and damaged homes, vehicles and farms. At least 104 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers this year, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.