McClatchy DC Logo

Israel suspends policy of demolishing Palestinian attackers' homes | McClatchy Washington Bureau

×
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Subscriber Services

    • All White House
    • Russia
    • All Congress
    • Budget
    • All Justice
    • Supreme Court
    • DOJ
    • Criminal Justice
    • All Elections
    • Campaigns
    • Midterms
    • The Influencer Series
    • All Policy
    • National Security
    • Guantanamo
    • Environment
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Water Rights
    • Guns
    • Poverty
    • Health Care
    • Immigration
    • Trade
    • Civil Rights
    • Agriculture
    • Technology
    • Cybersecurity
    • All Nation & World
    • National
    • Regional
    • The East
    • The West
    • The Midwest
    • The South
    • World
    • Diplomacy
    • Latin America
    • Investigations
  • Podcasts
    • All Opinion
    • Political Cartoons

  • Our Newsrooms

Latest News

Israel suspends policy of demolishing Palestinian attackers' homes

Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson - Knight Ridder Newspapers

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 17, 2005 03:00 AM

JERUSALEM—The Israeli military said Thursday it would stop demolishing homes of Palestinian suicide bombers and gunmen as punishment because an internal panel concluded the practice didn't deter attacks.

The policy, which the military defended in a written statement as its "legal right," could be reinstated "if an extreme change in circumstances takes place."

Human rights activists lauded the abandonment of the punitive policy, which has resulted in Israel demolishing some 1,800 Palestinian homes since the 1967 Middle East War.

But other groups, including the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, said the decision may not end most Israeli razing practices in Palestinian areas. Some 4,100 homes have been destroyed by Israel since the last Palestinian uprising began in late September 2000, according to the human rights group B'tselem. Most of those buildings were destroyed, not as punishment, but to eliminate cover for gunmen and expand security buffer zones and roads.

SIGN UP

"Our biggest concern is the mass home demolitions in Rafah, which left almost 30,000 people homeless," said Paul McCann, a spokesman for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, referring to the southern Gaza border town with Egypt.

For now, all types of demolition are effectively on hold since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared an end to hostilities at a meeting at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik on Feb. 8

The army panel found that the demolitions inflamed hatred rather than provided deterrence. Only 20 families of would-be suicide bombers came forward and turned their relatives in during the past four years, the daily newspaper Ha'aretz, reported.

In the past four years of violence, some 675 homes were destroyed in punishment for terror attacks against Israelis, leaving 4,239 Palestinians homeless, B'tselem said.

In 97 percent of the cases, residents received no warning before their houses were destroyed, the human rights group said. Often, adjacent homes and buildings were also damaged.

After the military panel delivered its report, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon recommended to Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz that the policy be stopped, and he accepted.

That infuriated some relatives of Israeli victims. "If even one child is saved by destroying houses, it's worth it," said Arieh Bachrach, whose son Ohad, 18, was killed by Palestinian gunmen in 1995 while hiking in a West Bank valley near Jericho. "If we had the policy of destroying houses 10 years ago, then perhaps my son would be alive today."

———

(Knight Ridder Newspapers special correspondent Cliff Churgin contributed to this report from Jerusalem.)

———

(c) 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

Need to map

  Comments  

Videos

Democrats announce Green New Deal

Sen. McConnell says Trump will sign spending bill and declare a national emergency

View More Video

Trending Stories

Trump slams California’s ‘fast train’ as Gavin Newsom leads 16 states suing over border wall

February 19, 2019 10:46 AM

Stacey Abrams appearance at voting rights hearing has political overtones, GOP says

February 19, 2019 10:20 AM

Texas GOP searches for candidate to take on Colin Allred

February 19, 2019 05:00 AM

‘It is time to complete that revolution’: Sanders says he’s running for president

February 19, 2019 07:00 AM

Operative at center of NC election fraud hearing won’t testify

February 18, 2019 02:16 PM

Read Next

VP Mike Pence plans visit to South Carolina to tour Opportunity Zones with Tim Scott

Congress

VP Mike Pence plans visit to South Carolina to tour Opportunity Zones with Tim Scott

By Emma Dumain

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 19, 2019 05:22 PM

Vice President Mike Pence will be in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday to tour an “Opportunity Zone” with the program’s champion, South Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.

KEEP READING

MORE LATEST NEWS

Congress

Stacey Abrams appearance at voting rights hearing has political overtones, GOP says

February 19, 2019 10:20 AM
On offshore drilling, Mark Sanford and Joe Cunningham find their legacies are linked

Congress

On offshore drilling, Mark Sanford and Joe Cunningham find their legacies are linked

February 15, 2019 05:00 AM
McConnell’s opposition to Green New Deal comes as he backs coal

Congress

McConnell’s opposition to Green New Deal comes as he backs coal

February 15, 2019 02:10 PM
Hawley fights subpoena: ‘The judicial process does not exist to harass public servants’

Congress

Hawley fights subpoena: ‘The judicial process does not exist to harass public servants’

February 15, 2019 10:35 AM
U.S. House committee advances bill to close ‘Charleston loophole’

Congress

U.S. House committee advances bill to close ‘Charleston loophole’

February 13, 2019 09:20 PM
Accusations of socialism drive GOP’s 2019 (and 2020) playbook

Congress

Accusations of socialism drive GOP’s 2019 (and 2020) playbook

February 13, 2019 12:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

McClatchy Washington Bureau App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Newsletters
Learn More
  • Customer Service
  • Securely Share News Tips
  • Contact Us
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story