The home of Islam Abu Hamid, who killed Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky by dropping a marble slab on his head in the al-Ama’ari neighborhood near Ramallah in May, was destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday night.
The IDF initially prepared to destroy just the third and fourth stories of the building, but the lower two floors ended up collapsing due to the explosion.
The move was made in compliance with standard Israeli policy regarding the homes of terrorists who commit murder in an effort to deter future terrorists from committing acts of violence.
Hamid’s mother said the demolition would not deter her and called her house “a sacrifice for the Palestinian people,” saying that she would rebuild it and continue to support terror activities. “As long as there is occupation on our lands, we will continue our resistance,” she said.
Palestinian Authority Minister Walid Assaf said the family would receive a different home, and that the Palestinian Authority itself would put forth the money and labor to rebuild it.
The demolition was carried about by soldiers in the IDF’s elite Duvdevan unit, many of whom were friends of Lubarsky. The team came under attack by dozens of Palestinians, who threw rocks at them.
The Abu Hamid family’s petition against the demolition was rejected by the High Court of Justice two weeks ago, and the family was given 10 days to prepare for it.
Hamid had already served five years in Israeli prison for his involvement in a different terror attack. Four of his brothers, also Hamas members, are serving life sentences for previous terror killings, including the 2002 Seafood Market attack in Tel Aviv that claimed the lives of three Israelis and the 1994 shooting of Shin Bet operative Noam Cohen.
Hamid’s elder brother is one of the founders of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade and a deputy to five-time terror convict Marwan Barghouti.
