Tensions Rise as Israel Plans Home Demolitions

In a move likely to exacerbate tensions, Israel's military announced plans to demolish the homes of two Palestinian gunmen responsible for a deadly attack that claimed six lives at a Jerusalem bus stop earlier this month.

The attack, among the deadliest in Jerusalem in recent years, unfolded against a backdrop of increasing violence in the region, including the ongoing cycle of conflict in Gaza and a surge in confrontations between Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Though Israel claims such demolitions serve as a deterrent, Palestinian officials and human rights organizations decry the practice as a form of collective punishment, prohibited by international law. Additionally, the revocation of 750 work permits in the attackers' hometowns has sparked further controversy.

(With inputs from agencies.)