Israeli Court Orders Army to Stop Razing Homes of Palestinian Militants

Israel's High Court of Justice has issued injunctions against the demolition of six homes belonging to suspected Palestinian militants accused of killing Israelis in the West Bank, Agence France Presse reports.

The court froze the destruction of the homes on Thursday, despite a pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month that Israeli authorities would expedite punitive demolitions. 

Since last Thursday, the government has issued orders to demolish nine homes in the West Bank and Jerusalem belonging to the families of suspected militants.

The injunction has temporarily stopped the demolition of several homes belonging to suspects in the shooting deaths of two Israelis in the West Bank earlier this month, as well as those of Palestinians accused of killing another two Israelis in June.

Israeli rights group Hamoked filed the petition to stop the demolitions, saying that a court hearing has been set for late October. The group asserted that the measures were a "disproportionate" form of punishment, and questioned "the benefit of deterring potential assailants…by demolishing the homes of entire families."

Netanyahu countered by arguing that the demolitions are "one of the most efficient tools" in deterring attacks, pressing for the court to make its decision in a swift manner.

Commenting on the spate of violence which has flared up in the region over the last months on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized that the failure to settle the Palestinian issue "over the last several decades is one of the most essential factors that allow terrorists to recruit the youth into their ranks."