IDF destroys homes of four Palestinians responsible for deadly terror attacks

Homes belonged to families of terrorists who killed Border Policewoman Hadas Malka and Sgt.Elhai Taharlev.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM
Updated: AUGUST 11, 2017 00:19
IDF demolition of terrorists' houses, August 9, 2017. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF demolition of terrorists' houses, August 9, 2017.
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Security forces destroyed overnight Wednesday the homes of four Palestinian terrorists who recently killed a border policewoman and an IDF sergeant.
On June 16, Bra’a Saleh, Usama Atta and Adel Ankush, armed with knives and firearms, carried out a coordinated attack in two locations near Jerusalem’s Old City. Border policewoman Hadas Malka, 23, was fatally stabbed while attempting to reach for her gun to stop the attack. All assailants were shot and killed by forces responding to the attack.
Following the attack a riot broke out as IDF troops raided the homes of the three terrorists.
About 200 Palestinians in Deir Abu Mashal, west of Ramallah, hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails and tried to block entrances to the village with burning tires.
The IDF informed the families in mid-July that their homes would be destroyed and gave them 72 hours to challenge the decision. The Atta and Saleh families petitioned the High Court, and it was ruled that the IDF would not demolish the homes’ ground floor but would instead destroy only the second story, and it would seal off the second story of Ankush’s home.
IDF demolition of terrorists' homes, August 9, 2017. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
IDF demolition of terrorists' homes, August 9, 2017. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
In April, Sgt. Elhai Taharlev was killed after he was struck by a Palestinian driver at the Ofra junction on Route 60, northeast of Ramallah. The terrorist, 21-year-old Malek Ahmad Mousa from nearby Silwad, served four months in jail for attempting an attack at the settlement of Adam last year, military officials said, which was the ninth attack in the past two years carried out by Silwad residents.
The IDF, along with Border Police officers and the Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria, demolished Hamed’s home. His family also petitioned the High Court of Justice to stop the demolition but the court rejected the appeal.
Since October 2015, Palestinians have stabbed, run over and shot Israeli soldiers and civilians, as well as tourists.
While the violence has since decreased since its peak in the winter of 2016 when there were almost daily attacks, there have been several deadly attacks in recent months.
According to authorities, 300 Palestinians, a majority of them attackers, have been killed by Israeli forces.