Sealing off the terrorist's home
Photo: Reuters
Victim's parents watch terrorist's home sealed off
Merav and Herzl Hajaj, whose daughter Lt. Shir Hajaj was murdered in a vehicular terror attack in East Talpiot two months ago, joined police forces in Jabel Mukaber to watch them pour concrete to block off entry to the terrorist's home.
Merav and Herzl, whose daughter Lt. Shir Hajaj was murdered in a vehicular terror attack in East Talpiot two months ago, joined police forces on Wednesday in Jabel Mukaber to watch them seal off the home of the terrorist who carried out the attack.
"It won't bring Shir back, but it might stop future attackers," Shir's father, Herzl, told Ynet.
Police deployed forces in and around the east Jerusalem neighborhood early Wednesday morning to secure the operation.
Sealing off the terrorist's home (Photo: Reuters)
The terrorist's father and brother were detained by the police for several hours ahead of the operation to prevent them from coming near the house while forces were sealing it.
Jerusalem District Police Commander Yoram Halevy granted the parents' unusual request to personally oversee the operation.
"I have to praise the Jerusalem Police and the district commander who really embraced us today and accompanied us throughout the entire process," Herzl Hajaj said. "They took us to his home in the village and explained to us how it will be sealed off and supported us during the difficult moments."
"I can't say I'm happy, and I'm not really satisfied," he added. "Perhaps if this policy of demolishing homes was implemented quicker, I wouldn't have become a bereaved father."
Police forces in Jabel Mukaber (Photo: Police)
The Hajaj family was at the forefront of the legal battle to have the terrorist's home sealed off after his family petitioned the High Court of Justice against it.
Four IDF soldiers were killed and 15 others wounded when terrorist Fadi al-Qanbar deliberately rammed his truck into a group of soldiers on the East Talpiot promenade in Jerusalem.
Prior to the house sealing operation, Halevy met with the families of the attack's four victims to give them an update on the police's activity in Jabel Mukaber following the attack as well as on the findings of the investigation into the attack.
