Israeli troops have destroyed the family home of Saleh al-Arouri, the exiled commander of Hamas in the occupied West Bank.

Currently thought to be living in southern Lebanon, Arouri, the deputy to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, is among a group of leaders singled out by Israeli officials who have vowed to destroy Hamas.

According to Reuters, the Hamas leader has spent 17 years in Israeli jails.

His house, which local residents said was not occupied, had been scheduled for demolition since last week and security forces blew it up in the early hours of the morning, according to witnesses.