Court Halts Demolition of Tayibe Homes for Abu Matir Family

A Netanya Magistrate's Court issued an order on Thursday preventing the National Council for Planning and Construction from demolishing homes belonging to the Abu Matir family in Tayibe, a town in central Israel. The demolition order, which had been issued for the houses located in a neighborhood near Qalqilya, has been frozen indefinitely pending a final resolution of the case.

The legal challenge was brought by lawyer Dr. Qais Nasser, who argued that the demolition orders, initially issued over twenty years ago, were unlawful. He emphasized that the houses now serve as the sole residences for five large families, including men, women, and children, and that two residents suffer from serious medical conditions. The court, presided over by Acting Judge Helmi Hajjuj, accepted the petition and issued the temporary injunction.

Dr. Nasser stated his intention to continue working with the families, the Tayibe municipality, and other relevant parties to obtain building permits for the homes and to regulate the entire neighborhood. Members of the Abu Matir family expressed immense stress and anxiety since receiving the demolition notices for their homes in the Tayibe plain, an area adjacent to the eastern neighborhoods of Qalqilya. One family member, Dr. Muhammad Abu Matir, told local media that the family had been unable to sleep since the demolition orders were issued.