Israel’s High Court of Justice has upheld an order to demolish the West Bank apartment of a Palestinian man accused of orchestrating an attempted rocket attack on the Israeli settlement of Modi’in Illit. The ruling, handed down on Thursday, allows for the destruction of the apartment where the suspect’s family resides in the village of Kafr Nima near Ramallah, but stops short of demolishing the entire building, which is owned by the wife’s father and includes other family members’ living spaces.

The case centers on Abdullah Mahmoud Saud al-Khatib, who faces multiple charges including attempted intentional killing, weapons offenses, and membership in a banned organization. According to the indictment detailed in the court’s decision, al-Khatib led a cell that planned and prepared multiple rocket attacks targeting Israeli locations. The group manufactured rockets and launch systems and conducted testing activities. On September 17, 2025, under al-Khatib’s direction, cell members placed two rockets near Modi’in Illit and prepared them for launch. One rocket malfunctioned and fell, damaging the other’s launch device. Neither rocket was fired toward the settlement and no casualties resulted from the attempt.

Writing the principal opinion, Justice Yael Willner dismissed the family’s argument that the plot had remained in the preparatory phase. She highlighted the cell’s methodical efforts, arsenal of rockets and explosives, and alleged intent to conduct repeated strikes. Willner noted that although the attack caused no injuries or deaths, the severity of the planned actions warranted exceptional measures such as home demolition. The decision was issued under Regulation 119 of the British Mandate-era emergency regulations, which allows for confiscation or destruction of property under certain security-related circumstances.

The family challenged the demolition order on multiple grounds, asserting it amounted to unlawful collective punishment and questioning both its legality and effectiveness as a deterrent. They also emphasized that the wife and children were neither involved in nor aware of al-Khatib’s activities and proposed limiting any punitive measure to sealing off a single room instead of the entire apartment. Willner rejected these challenges, citing established precedent and maintaining that the circumstances justified the demolition despite the hardship imposed on innocent family members.

Justice Ruth Ronnen concurred with the ruling, though she emphasized the importance of considering a family’s lack of knowledge or involvement when assessing proportionality. Ronnen pointed out that punishing uninvolved relatives could diminish incentives for families to prevent attacks, but nonetheless concluded the order was appropriate given al-Khatib’s direct connection to the apartment and the seriousness of his alleged offenses. The court also noted engineering precautions taken to minimize harm to adjacent parts of the building and neighboring properties.

Initially, the military proposed demolishing the entire ground floor but scaled back plans following the family’s objections. The court declined to overturn the demolition order despite a delay of approximately 11 months between the attempted attack and the issuance of the demolition notice. The state explained the delay by citing wartime pressures and the requirement for individual authorization from the prime minister and defense minister, as attacks without casualties are typically subject to heightened scrutiny. The state further indicated that its National Security Council was developing a general policy on demolitions related to attacks that result in no casualties. The High Court accepted these reasons and left the demolition order intact.