Army to demolish homes of suspects in deadly West Bank stabbing

The Israel Defense Forces says it is going ahead with the demolition of the homes of two Palestinians accused in the fatal stabbing of yeshiva student and off-duty soldier Dvir Sorek, after an appeal against the move was thrown out.

Sorek’s body was found on August 7 outside the West Bank settlement of Migdal Oz south of Jerusalem; Nasir and Qasseem Asafra were nabbed by Israeli forces days later and accused of attacking Sorek after he got off a bus late at night.

The military notified the families of the terrorists of its intentions to demolish the homes in the Hebron-area village of Beit Khalil earlier this month and gave them an opportunity to appeal the decision.

“The demolition orders were signed after the appeals by the families against the demolitions were rejected,” the army says.

It is not immediately clear when the military will carry out the orders.

— Judah Ari Gross