Destruction of first floor
Destruction of first floorIDF Spokesman

The State informed the Supreme Court that it would suffice with demolishing the first floor of the house of the terrorist who committed the Neve Tzuf massacre, in which three members of the Salomon family were murdered.

The State's announcement to the Supreme Court reported Thursday morning on Army Radio was made in response to a petition filed by the Salomon family after the building's first floor where the terrorist lived was demolished.

In their petition, the family demanded the rest of the building be demolished, in light of the fact that five members of the terrorist's extended family were convicted of failing to prevent the attack.

Despite the fact that those around the terrorist knew of his intentions, the State decided to advise the Court that in its opinion, demolishing additional floors where the terrorist himself did not live should be avoided.

Regulation 119 of the Defense Regulations, by authority of which the State destroys terrorist's homes, explicitly permits confiscation and destruction of the entire building in which a terrorist lived, regardless of the part of the building in which he lived.

Over the years, however, Supreme Court justices have eroded the regulation's efficacy and imposed many restrictions on its practical implementation.

Recently, legal analysts identified a trend in which the State adopts narrow positions regarding terrorist home demolitions, as illustrated in this case.