Muhammed Abu Aisha, the uncle of Amer Abu Aisha who is one of the key suspects in the murders of three Israeli teens whose deaths have triggered the current conflict. He is shown on July 17 inside the family home, which was partially destroyed by Israeli troops. Now, Israel is seeking to demolish the entire house. (Sudarsan Raghavan/The Washington Post)

HEBRON, West Bank — Said Kawasmeh received the order from Israel’s military last week. His two-story house was to be demolished, and his large family had 48 hours to leave.

The reason: Kawasmeh’s son is a key suspect in the brutal kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers whose fates helped reignite the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The son, Marwan, has disappeared. So Israel has zeroed in on his family.

“I built this house, and I own it,” lamented Kawasmeh, seated on a chair in his empty house. Outside, the family’s possessions lay in boxes and shopping bags, or scattered on the ground. “Why do they want to punish me?”

As Israel pummels Hamas’s infrastructure inside Gaza, it is also trying to prevent attacks originating from the West Bank and Israel — by obliterating the houses of the relatives of Palestinians who allegedly have harm Israelis. In doing so, Israel’s military has returned to a controversial poli... that has displaced thousands of Palestinians over the years.

More Here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-west-bank-israel...