150 police officers, helicopter secure terrorist’s house for demolition

Israel seals off home of Hamas terrorist who killed South African immigrant in November 2021 Old City shooting spree.

By World Israel News Staff

More than 150 Israeli security officers descended upon the Shu’afat neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem early Tuesday morning to permanently seal off the part of a home occupied by a terrorist responsible for a deadly shooting attack in November.

The officers were members of the Israel Police, Border Police, the IDF and Home Front Command. They received aerial support from a helicopter dispatched for additional surveillance and monitoring of the neighborhood during the operation.

Ynet reported that despite the heavy police presence, clashes broke out between residents and security forces. Social media footage posted by Shu’afat locals showed officers running in single file lines with their weapons drawn as residents watched.

In early January, the IDF received an order to demolish the home of Fadi Abu Shkhaydam, a Hamas operative who killed South African immigrant Eli Kay.

The decision was originally made in December, just days after Abu Shkyadam’s deadly shooting attack in the Old City, but his family appealed the decision.

The appeal was rejected and the demolition was approved by the Supreme Court in late December.

Because Abu Shkyadam lived on the fourth floor of a building occupied by other families, security forces could not physically destroy his home without compromising the integrity of the building.

Instead, the home is filled with concrete in order to make it inaccessible and unusable.

The destruction of the terrorist’s home may spark conflict with the Biden administration, which has expressed its disapproval of the punitive measure.

In July 2021, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price expressed his disapproval with the decision to destroy the home of terrorist Montasser Shalabi.

“We attach a good deal of priority to this, knowing that the home of an entire family shouldn’t be demolished for the action of one individual,” Price said, adding that the U.S. would continue to voice its concerns “as long as this practice continues.”

Shalabi, who holds American citizenship, shot three yeshiva students, one fatally, in an unprovoked attack as they stood at a bus stop near the Tapuach Junction.