People inspect the house of Palestinian militant Mutaz Khawaja who carried out a deadly shooting attack in Tel Aviv, after it was razed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank village of Nilin on May 23, 2023. (Credit: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)
Israeli troops on Tuesday demolished the West Bank home of a Palestinian militant who was killed after carrying out a deadly shooting in the heart of Tel Aviv in March.
"Forces of the army and the border police destroyed the home in the village of Nilin of the terrorist Mutaz Khawaja, who carried out a shooting attack on March 9, 2023 in Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv," an Israeli army statement said.
Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since 1967, routinely demolishes the homes of individuals it blames for attacks on Israelis.
Human rights activists say the policy amounts to collective punishment, as it can render non-combatants, including children, homeless.
But Israel says the practice is effective in deterring some Palestinians from carrying out attacks.
Khawaja, 23, was a member of Hamas armed wing Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza has said.
Israeli police shot him dead after the attack, which killed one Israeli and wounded two more.
His home village lies close to the Green Line which separates Israeli territory from the occupied West Bank, and is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Tel Aviv.
Nilin mayor Yusef Khawaja said Israeli troops made all residents of the four-story apartment block leave their homes before demolishing the shooter's first-floor flat at dawn.
The Israeli army released a video of troops setting explosive charges before blowing up the apartment.
Residents draped large portraits of Khawaja over the side of the building, commemorating him as a "martyr," an AFP photographer reported.
Troops clashed with "rioters" during the operation, the army said. The mayor said three people were injured.
Israeli troops on Tuesday demolished the West Bank home of a Palestinian militant who was killed after carrying out a deadly shooting in the heart of Tel Aviv in March.
"Forces of the army and the border police destroyed the home in the village of Nilin of the terrorist Mutaz Khawaja, who carried out a shooting attack on March 9, 2023 in Dizengoff...