The IDF, together with the Border Police and the Civil Administration, demolished overnight Tuesday the West Bank home of the Palestinian who stabbed three Israelis to death in their home at the nearby Jewish settlement of Halamish last month.
The terrorist, Omar al-Abed, 19, was shot and neutralized by an off-duty soldier at the scene of the July 21 attack. He was later arrested.
IDF demolishing the home of al-Abed (Credit: IDF)
(דובר צה''ל)
As the army started demolishing the house, located in the Palestinian village of Kobar, clashes broke out between Palestinian residents of the village and security forces, during which a Palestinian journalist suffered a head injury.
Thanks to a donation by the villagers, the al-Abed family received a replacement land on which they could build their new home.
Michal Salomon, whose husband Elad was killed in the attack, commented Wednesday on the destruction of al-Abed's home.
"Their home can be rebuilt, but my home has been destroyed forever," she said. "The death penalty is needed so these terrorists will not be able to build a new home. If not the death penalty, then the conditions of their imprisonment must be drastically worsened, and anything that is not the bare minimum, such as television or the possibility of education, should be taken from them. They murdered, and they have to be punished, they do not deserve (to stay at) an inn at our expense."
Police said they will charge five members of al-Abed's family—his mother, father, two brother and uncle—for failing to stop him from carrying out the stabbing. The five were arrested and face prosecution for failing to prevent a crime.
According to the police, the family members revealed in questioning they knew the terrorist's intentions shortly before he set out to carry out the attack, but did not act to prevent it and did not report it to either Israeli or Palestinian authorities.
Wednesday's demolitions follow similar demolitions of homes of Palestinians who carry out attacks on Israelis. They are meant as a deterrent.
Elior Levy, Elisha Ben Kimon and Yoav Zitun contributed to this article.