Family Home Razed in Nablus After Suspect's Arrest; Relatives Call It 'Collective Punishment'

An apartment block in Nablus that housed more than 30 members of the extended Sanoubar family was demolished after Israeli forces said it belonged to the family of a bombing suspect. Relatives say soldiers gave residents only minutes to evacuate before explosives were detonated, sending thick clouds of dust and smoke through the neighbourhood.

What happened

According to the family, Israeli forces ordered occupants to leave with just two minutes' notice before blowing up the building. There were no reported casualties; authorities say the explosives went off while the buses allegedly targeted in February were parked and unoccupied.

Who is the suspect

The home belonged to the extended family of Abdul Karim Sanoubar, 30, who was detained in July after a months-long manhunt. Israeli officials accused him of involvement in an alleged plot to bomb buses in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. Sanoubar was captured after a two-day operation in Nablus during which security forces entered hospitals and nearby residential blocks.

Family accounts and reaction

"We're not the terrorists; they are. This is completely unjust," said Moayed Sanoubar, the suspect's uncle, condemning the demolition as an "act of terrorism" against innocent relatives.

Amer Sanoubar, the suspect's 61-year-old father, described the demolition as part of a campaign of "collective punishment" intended to intimidate the local population. "They want to make sure no young Palestinian ever thinks of carrying a single bullet," he said, gesturing amid the ruins of his lifelong home.

The family said the military also informed them the property had been confiscated, preventing them from returning or rebuilding the damaged structure. They received a demolition notice in April and were given 72 hours to lodge an objection; the courts later rejected their appeal. The demolition was carried out as part of a military campaign referred to by authorities as "Operation Five Stones."

Legal and human rights concerns

Human rights groups widely characterise the punitive demolition of homes linked to alleged attackers in the occupied West Bank as a form of collective punishment and argue it violates international law. Legal critics say demolishing occupied property belonging to relatives of suspects — especially when civilians are affected — raises serious due-process and human-rights concerns.

Aftermath

Sanoubar's brothers, Ahmad (31) and Omar (33), have also been held since the arrest; the siblings are reported to be held under administrative detention, a system that allows detention without trial for renewable periods. The family says several members — including the suspect's mother and sister — have been detained at various times, and soldiers have previously raided their apartments, damaging furniture and personal belongings.

Surviving relatives have dispersed across Nablus and nearby areas, sheltering with relatives. Neighbours who were evacuated returned to find external damage such as shattered windows. From the ruined building's roof, the remains of the top-floor bedroom are visible, including a painted slogan on a wall reading: "We fight so we can live."