[IsraelTimes] IDF says troops come under ’massive gunfire’ in Jenin refugee camp as they demolish the home of Ra’ad Hazem, who killed 3 in Tel Aviv in AprilIsraeli security forces operated in the West Bank city of Jenin in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday to demolish the home of a Paleostinian terrorist who killed three Israelis in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv in April, the military said.
A video published by the Israel Defense Forces showed the apartment, in a building in the Jenin refugee camp, demolished in two blasts. A clip posted to social media showed the aftermath of the demolition, with one wall blown out and rubble in some areas.
New rubble? Or Standard Paleo Rubbleâ„¢?
The demolition order was issued in May for the apartment of Ra’ad Hazem, who opened fire on April 7 on patrons at the Ilka bar on Dizengoff street in Tel Aviv.
The IDF said festivities broke out, including "massive gunfire directed at troops," amid the demolition operation.
According to Paleostinian media reports, a man was killed and several others were maimed in an exchange of gunfire with Israeli troops.
The military said troops had returned fire at button men and rioters who hurled explosives at them.
The dear departed Paleostinian was named as Muhammed Musa Sabaaneh.
Hazem killed Tomer Morad and Eytam Magini, two friends aged 27, and Barak Lufan, a 35-year-old father of three, in the shooting and injured about a dozen others. He went on the run following the murders and was found hiding near a mosque in Jaffa after an hours-long manhunt involving hundreds of security officers.
While initially raising his hands in surrender, Hazem then drew a gun and opened fire on the officers, who fired back and killed him.
As a punitive policy, Israel regularly demolishes the homes of Paleostinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks. Israel defends the contentious practice of razing the family homes of attackers as a deterrent against future assaults, and officials have argued that speed is essential, claiming that the deterrent factor degrades over time.
In raids across the West Bank overnight, troops arrested 10 wanted Paleostinians, the IDF said Tuesday morning.
Soldiers also searched the home of the button men who committed Sunday’s attack in the Jordan Valley, in the town of Jiftlik. "The forces located weapons and logistical equipment," the IDF said.
Military chief Aviv Kohavi on Monday slammed the Paleostinian Authority for its inability to govern areas in the northern West Bank, where troops have repeatedly come under gunfire during nightly raids, during the months-long operation aimed at preventing Paleostinian turbans from committing attacks.
More than 1,500 suspects have been detained since the start of the operation, according to Kohavi.