The Obama administration reacted with concern to reports that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is looking to deport family members of terrorists involved in attacks on Israel, removing them from Judea and Samaria and sending them to the Gaza Strip.

State Department spokesperson Mark Toner responded to questions during a daily press briefing on Wednesday, and addressed Netanyahu’s proposed deportation plan.

Toner replied that the reports regarding the deportation plan raise “concerns”. He also went on to condemn Israel’s policy of punitive home demolitions, saying that the US State Department viewed it as “counterproductive” and arguing that the “only exacerbate tensions on the ground”.

The Israeli government claims demolitions of terrorists’ homes are a useful deterrent, preventing many potential terror attacks.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently broached the issue of deporting family members of terrorists as a further deterrent measure. Israel’s new Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, reportedly opposes those measure.