...for attempting to stop an Al Aksa rocket attack on an Israeli village:

The family members were worried that Israeli troops would eventually retaliate against them, possibly even destroying their two-story stucco house. Throughout the West Bank and Gaza, Israeli forces, as a deterrent strategy, have often destroyed the houses of families and local people who cooperate with the militants.

According to Amna Al-Za'nin, the 35-year-old aunt of the boy who was killed, members of the family including three of her nephews argued with four militants, but the militants ignored their appeals. As the argument grew more heated, she said, three of the militants started firing in the air. One though fired off several shots directly at the family.

Miss Al-Za'nin herself was struck in the back, an 18-year-old nephew was struck in the ear, and a 20-year-old nephew was struck in the hand. But one nephew, Hassan Al- Za'nin, 15 years old, was hit in the back and taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where he died. Doctors at the hospital said the bullet penetrated the boy's heart.

The UN will continue to condemn the security wall and Israel's policy of retaliation by property destruction. Yet events like this one show the effectiveness of these measures. The article shows that Amna Al-Za'nin is very anti-Israel herself, yet the entire family feared the possible repercussions for proximity to this attack. They knew that when the IDF showed up, they would be facing them alone; the terrorists responsible for the deed would be long gone.

Israel military officials are aware that their policies are working:

"This is part of a growing trend where residents are exasperated with gunmen," one official said. "We saw it in Rafah where people were angry at the militants building tunnels under their houses. And in Nablus, where the residents weren't sorry that we were arresting the bad guys in their neighborhood."

A year ago, there was a demonstration in this same city (Beit Hanoun) to protest the rocket attacks. One protestor stated "We've had enough because the people here have paid a very heavy price. The Israelis have turned our lives into hell because of the rockets."

It may be impossible to stop the Palistinian hatred toward Israel. However, the retaliation policy is reinforcing the idea that terror attacks do more harm than good to the Palistinian people. Does this stop the terrorist from acting? No, these actions demonstrate that the purpose behind this fight has little to do with the noble cause of improving the life of the common Palistinian.

It is only about killing Jews.