JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency has recommended to the defense ministry the demolition of the homes of two Palestinians convicted of murder in a West Bank settlement a year ago, The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.

On March 11, 2011, Amjad Awwad, 19, and his cousin, Hakim Mazen Awwad, 18, broke into the Fogel family's house in Itamar settlement southeast of Nablus and killed the sleeping husband and wife and their three children.

The two confessed to the crime and were sentenced to five life terms each.

The cousins told investigators that their family clan, making up about half of the nearby village of Awartaa, helped hide them. In addition, Shin Bet officials said their families concealed their weapons and destroyed evidence of the killings, trying to cover their tracks.

The Shin Bet's recommendation is part of an ongoing policy aimed at deterring Palestinians from harboring criminals. A decision on the recommendation is expected to be made within a few weeks.