IDF demolishes Hebron homes of two terrorists who killed seven in Tel Aviv
Ahmed Himouni and Mohammad Mesek used rifle, knife in Oct. attack on and near light rail, in which 15 were also hurt; IDF also razes home of truck-rammer who killed soldier in Sep.
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Military engineers blew up the West Bank homes of two Palestinian terrorists who murdered seven people and wounded 15 in Tel Aviv in October, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday.
Members of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit and the Judea Regional Brigade demolished the homes of the two terrorists during operations in the West Bank city of Hebron overnight and in the morning, the IDF said.
The terrorists, Ahmed Himouni, 25, and Mohammad Mesek, 19, went on a shooting and stabbing spree at a light rail station in the Jaffa area of the city on October 1, just minutes before Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel.
On October 1, the two terrorists, one of whom was armed with a rifle and the other with a knife, attacked civilians on the Tel Aviv light rail before getting off and continuing on foot and shooting and stabbing people on Jerusalem Street in the city.
Mesek was shot dead by a municipal security officer, and Himouni was seriously wounded after being shot by armed civilians.
It was one of the deadliest single attacks in Israel in recent years.
כוחות צה״ל מחטיבת יהודה ולוחמי יחידת יהל״ם הרסו הלילה את בתיהם של המחבלים אחמד הימוני ומחמד מסק בחברון.
המחבלים ביצעו ב-1 באוקטובר 2024 פיגוע טרור בתחנת הרכבת הקלה ביפו, בו נרצחו שבעה ישראלים ותושבים זרים ונפצעו 15 נוספים>> pic.twitter.com/mVFt0B0yJm
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 5, 2025
The seven civilians murdered in the attack were Victor Shimshon Green, 33; Revital Bronstein, 24; Shahar Goldman, 30; Inbar Segev Vigder, 33; Nadia Sokolenco, 40; Ilia Nozadze, 42, a Georgian citizen; and Jonas Chrosis, 26, a Greek citizen.
Also Wednesday, during operations in the West Bank town of Rafat, the IDF demolished the home of another Palestinian who killed a soldier in a car-ramming attack in September.
On September 11, 2024, Hayil Dhaifallah, 58, rammed a fuel tanker he was driving into an army post next to a bus stop on Route 60 outside the settlement of Givat Assaf, killing Staff Sgt. Geri Gideon Hanghal, 24.
Dhaifallah’s home was demolished by troops of the Kfir Brigade’s Nahshon Battalion, where Hanghal served, along with Border Police forces.
כוחות צה"ל מחטיבת בנימין ומגדוד 90 של חטיבת כפיר, בו שירת סמ״ר גרי גדעון הנגהל ז״ל, בשיתוף עם כוחות מג"ב, פעלו במהלך היום בכפר ראפאת שבחטיבת בנימין והרסו את ביתו של המחבל האיל דיף אללה>> pic.twitter.com/GZTDwKSKzw
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 5, 2025
As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks.
Jerusalem defends the practice of razing the family home of attackers as a deterrent against future assaults. Over the years, a number of Israeli defense officials have questioned the efficacy of the practice, and human rights activists have denounced it as unfair collective punishment.
The Times of Israel Community.