Jenin, Palestine — Israeli forces on early Tuesday demolished the West Bank house of a Palestinian accused of involvement in the killing of a settler in January, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

Ahmed Qunba's home in Jenin in the northern West Bank was destroyed in a controlled explosion, Palestinian security sources said.

They added that demonstrators clashed with Israeli forces at the scene.

The Israeli army alleged in a statement that Qunba was part of the cell that shot dead Rabbi Raziel Shevah near Nablus in the northern West Bank.

Shevah was a resident of the wildcat Havat Gilad settlement near Nablus.

Three suspects in his killing were shot dead by the Israeli army, but Qunba was arrested in mid-January and faces multiple charges.

During the home demolition, clashes broke out and a policewoman was shot in the leg, Israeli police said in a statement.

Israel periodically demolishes the houses of Palestinians who have perpetrated deadly attacks against Israelis, saying such a policy acts as a deterrent.

Critics denounce demolitions as a form of collective punishment that makes families homeless and can provoke further violence.

The demolitions often spark clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

In 2005 Israel halted the policy, but in 2014 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that demolitions would resume after a wave of attacks. — AFP