Israeli Army Blows Up Palestinian Prisoner’s Home in West Bank
NABLUS, OCCUPIED WEST BANK — WEB DESK: Israeli forces blew up part of the home of a Palestinian prisoner in the occupied West Bank early Thursday, causing extensive damage to the residential building as tensions remain high across the territory.
The operation targeted the home of Palestinian prisoner Dawas Hassoun in the town of Beit Imrin, northwest of Nablus, according to local sources cited in current reporting.
Visual material distributed from the scene showed Palestinians inspecting extensive damage inside the property after the Israeli military operation. Reuters Connect imagery confirms that Israeli forces blew up the second-floor apartment of Hassoun in a three-storey building during the September 24 raid.
The military operation took place in the early hours of Thursday, according to Anadolu footage distributed through Reuters Connect.
Hassoun has been held in Israeli custody since October 2025 and that Israeli authorities accuse him of involvement in an attack that killed an Israeli soldier.
That allegation should remain attributed to Israeli authorities; the material reviewed for this report does not independently establish Hassoun’s responsibility.
West Bank Tensions Remain High
The demolition comes amid continuing Israeli military raids and reported attacks by Israeli settlers across different parts of the occupied West Bank.
Recent reporting has documented incidents involving vandalism of Palestinian property, confrontations and violence involving settlers and Palestinians. Haaretz reported this week on settler attacks in several West Bank areas as Israeli forces also tightened restrictions around Ramallah.
Earlier this month, video footage also showed an Israeli soldier shooting a Palestinian man in the leg during a confrontation involving settlers in the West Bank, an incident that prompted further scrutiny of Israeli forces’ handling of settler-Palestinian confrontations.
In July, Israeli settlers set fire to mosques in the West Bank village of Qusra following a deadly confrontation. A local official told Reuters that Hebrew slogans were also sprayed on the walls.
These are separate incidents and should not be presented as directly connected to Thursday’s demolition.
Israel Says Demolitions Serve as Deterrent
Israel has long used punitive home demolitions against Palestinians accused or convicted of carrying out deadly attacks.
Israeli authorities have historically argued that destroying attackers’ family homes serves as a deterrent against future attacks. Human rights organisations and other critics have argued that the practice punishes relatives who may not have been involved in the alleged offence.
The policy predates the current conflict. In previous cases, Israeli forces have demolished the homes of Palestinians accused of attacks, while Israeli authorities have described the policy as a security measure designed to deter further violence.
Thursday’s demolition should therefore be distinguished from demolitions related to construction permits, military operations or settlement expansion; available reporting links this case specifically to Hassoun’s imprisonment and the accusations against him.
The occupied West Bank has remained a major flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Middle East war, while Palestinians seek it as part of a future independent state.
The immediate extent of damage to neighbouring properties and whether anyone was injured during Thursday’s operation were not independently established in the sources reviewed at publication time.
