Israel Land Authority says it won’t serve demolition notice to rescued hostage

An Israeli government body says that it will not serve a demolition notice to rescued hostage Farhad al-Qadi, though much of his village is slated for demolition by the state.

Al-Qadi, who was rescued on Tuesday by IDF troops from an underground Hamas tunnel in Gaza, hails from the Bedouin village of Khirbet Karkur, near Rahat. Since November, about 70% of Khirbet Karkur residents have been told the government plans to raze their homes because they were built without permits in a “protected forest” not zoned for housing, according to a lawyer representing them.

A spokesperson for the Israel Land Authority says that “in light of the situation” it will not serve a demolition notice to the al-Qadi family. But it would not comment on the plight of his neighbors or their lawyers’ efforts to save their homes.

For decades, Israel has been trying to convince scattered, off-the-grid Bedouin villagers that it is in their interest to move into government-designated Bedouin townships, where the government can provide them with water, electricity and schools. Bedouin leaders have rejected many proposals, saying they would destroy their lifestyle or send them to less desirable areas.