From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
IDF orders demolition of West Bank home of Palestinian who took part in deadly clash
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The military says the chief of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, has signed a demolition order for the home of a Palestinian who opened fire during a deadly clash in the West Bank village of Tell last month.
During the July 24 incident, Tell resident Farouk Ramadan opened fire with a gun snatched from an Israeli security officer amid a confrontation between residents of the village and a group of Israelis who were hiking through the area.
Israeli civil defense squad member Master Sergeant (res.) Benayahu Mellet, 32, and IDF officer Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27, were killed in the incident, along with four Palestinians, including Ramadan.
The IDF says Bluth signed the seizure and demolition order for Ramadan’s home over the weekend. His home was already sealed by the army last week.
Ramadan’s family filed an appeal against the decision, which the IDF rejected. The family still has the opportunity to appeal to the High Court against the demolition. Such attempts rarely succeed, though in some cases the court can limit the demolition order to only the parts of the house used by the assailant.
As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks.
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