Israel Intensifies Collective Punishment after Al-Quds Shooting

Entire towns have been sealed off, with barriers erected in the streets and movement brought to a halt. Israeli forces are mapping homes for demolition, a practice condemned internationally as illegal under humanitarian law.

Israel’s War minister vowed “far-reaching and severe consequences,” announcing the revocation of at least 750 Palestinian work permits, a measure that will further cripple livelihoods in the already devastated West Bank economy.

Authorities are also targeting families of the alleged attackers. Relatives, including fathers and uncles, have been detained despite having no involvement in the incidents. Work restrictions and “civil sanctions” are being imposed on them as part of what human rights advocates describe as state-led revenge policies.

Israeli occupation troops this week demolished the home of Thabet Masalma, a Palestinian detainee accused of a December shooting, leaving his wife, parents and three children homeless. Residents of Beit Awwa confronted troops during the demolition raid, facing live fire and tear gas that injured at least two Palestinians.

Human rights group B’Tselem has documented at least 26 punitive demolitions in 2025 alone, displacing more than 70 Palestinians. Critics say such demolitions amount to war crimes, punishing entire families for acts they did not commit.

In Hebron (Al-Khalil) governorate, Israeli troops arrested two Palestinians in separate raids, one west of Dura and another in Bani Na’im. Checkpoints and road closures have further tightened Israel’s grip on the region.

Israeli ministers have openly threatened harsher reprisals following Monday’s Al-Quds attack that left six dead, vowing to continue demolishing family homes and even considering deportations.

The escalating crackdown highlights Israel’s reliance on collective punishment — a policy that rights groups warn deepens Palestinian suffering while fueling cycles of resistance across the occupied territories.