Palestinians demolish illegal homes of corrupt officials

A Palestinian bulldozer today demolished the seaside homes of three senior officers who built illegally on public land in Gaza, the start of what the Palestinian government promises will be a relentless campaign against official corruption.

Palestinians, fed up with years of corruption by security officials, hailed the move as an important sign that nobody is above the law.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was elected, in part, on a pledge to reform the corruption-riddled government and security services, where top officials routinely misuse their power for personal gain.

In recent weeks, Abbas has forced top security leaders into retirement and promised to streamline and restructure the overlapping and competing security services, which grew increasingly corrupt during the chaos that accompanied the past four-and-a-half years of fighting with Israel.

“The Palestinian Authority policy is clear. No-one is above the law, and we will work until we put an end to the lawlessness in the Palestinian areas,” said Tawfik Abu Khoussa, spokesman for Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Yousef.

To carry out Abbas’s mission, one bulldozer guarded by seven jeeps and 30 Palestinian officers entered the Sudania area on the Mediterranean seacoast of northern Gaza this morning to crush the three homes, being built by a major, a lieutenant colonel and a colonel on public land they had illegally seized. The operation encountered no resistance.

Construction on the two-storey concrete houses, which had a clear view of the ocean 100 metres away, was almost finished. One house was surrounded by a small flower garden.

After the demolition crews left, some sheep and two donkeys fed on the remains of the garden.

Palestinian officials said today’s demolitions – which came after Abbas ordered the destruction of hundreds of illegal shops, cafes and kiosks near the beach in Gaza City in January – signalled a wider crackdown on corruption by security officials.

“The demolition of the three houses today is the beginning, and any other abuse is going to be resolved the same way,” Abu Khoussa said.

The demolition harkened to Israel’s destruction of hundreds of Palestinian houses over the past few years of conflict, but instead of condemning the move, local Palestinians praised their leaders.

“When my family told me this morning over the phone that the police and bulldozers came to knock down the house of the colonel, I told them they were dreaming. But now I see that the dream became a reality,” said Hassan Abdel Khaleq, a resident of the neighbourhood. “I hope that all the violators will be punished.”

The demolitions sent an important message to Palestinians that corruption will no longer be tolerated, said Ghadeer Omari, a Palestinian human rights activist.

“This is a good start. Many officers and many officials abused their authority in the past, and to start with them is going to encourage people to obey law and order,” Omari said.

Political analyst Hani Masri said that while Abbas’s move was important, much more must be done to end corruption in the security services, which need “a revolution from inside".