Israeli occupation troops Thursday demolished four houses belonging to suspected Palestinian resistance men, bringing to nine the number of houses destroyed in the Jenin refugee camp this past week.Two of the houses destroyed Thursday belonged to resistance bombers and two belonged to suspected resistance men wanted by Israel for attacks, the occupation army said. The demolitions left at least 50 people homeless, Palestinian resistance men said.

Since early summer, Israel's occupation army has destroyed dozens of homes belonging to families of Palestinian resistance suspects, arguing that it dissuades other Palestinians from launching attacks.

Palestinians view the demolitions, which are criticized by human rights groups, as collective punishment for the crimes of extremists.

The occupation army said one of the resistance bombers whose house was destroyed Thursday helped slam a car packed with explosives into a bus in northern Israel last week, killing 14 people.

The other resistance bomber carried out a May 2001 attack that injured 49 people, the occupation army said.

One of the resistance men was in a car full of resistance men who fired on a bus stop in the coastal Israeli town of Hadera last year, killing four people. The resistance man was shot and killed in the attack.

Israeli occupation troops reoccupied the town of Jenin a week ago after the Oct. 21 bus bombing in northern Israel.

Occupation troops have conducted house-to-house searches for resistance men and arrested Palestinian suspects.
The town was under curfew for six straight days, with the occupation army finally letting people out of their homes Wednesday.

Israeli occupation army officers have said occupation soldiers will remain in Jenin until they finish rooting out resistance men there.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinians carry the shrouded body of Aied Mansour, 35, an Al Aqsa resistance man, during his funeral in Kofar Qaleel, a small village near the West Bank town of Nablus Thursday Oct. 31, 2002. Mansour was killed Wednesday night, reportedly by Israeli special occupation forces. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtaye