This Al-Haq report examines the legality of punitive house demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) by the Israeli military. Utilizing the Israeli Supreme Court's security-based reasoning, Israel justifies punitive house demolitions in reference to the Defence Emergency Regulations of 1945. With a historical background of the issue at hand, as well as 5 case sudies of demolitions in the OPT, this study reviews the policy in light of international law. It is established that this policy is a form of collective punishment, and in accordance with humanitarian law and human rights law, is assessed as a war crime and a crime against humanity.
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