Greedy Israeli Landlord Demands Woman Held in Gaza Pay Rent

Date: 16 October 2023 - 22:24

News ID: ۱۲۰۳۶۴

WEST BANK (Dispatches) – An Israeli landlord has allegedly ordered the roommate of an Israeli woman who is said to be held by Palestinian resistance forces in Gaza to pay half of her rent, lest he throw out her belongings, according to local reports from last week.
Inbar Hayman, 27 is believed to be among over 199 held as part of the Hamas-led resistance operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which has been the deadliest to date for the occupation regime. Over 200 were killed in the attack, which, according to one Israel survivor, was largely at the hands of the Israeli military themselves.
The landlord of the apartment, situated in the northern city of Haifa, told her roommate and partner that they needed to pay the full rent for the unit. When the roommate, identified as Noam Allon, told him Hyman had been taken by the resistance, he allegedly replied: “Look for replacements. You are not doing me a favor by living there.”
“Let it be clear to you: You have an obligation for the rent of 2,500 shekels [about $630]. You can talk to her parents about vacating the room,” the landlord is said to have stated.
The story has since gone viral on social media, capturing the attention of international news outlets, after the roommate’s father posted a screenshot of an exchange with the landlord.
“I am 52 years old,” he was quoted as saying by Jerusalem Post. “In my life. I never thought I would encounter such opacity,” he added.
“I published it so that apartment owners would be careful of treating other people like this and think twice. The network will not forgive and no one does. I intentionally did not publish his name and phone number to give him time to apologize. I do not want to hear from him until Inbar is returned to Israel,” the father said.
“I don’t have time to mess with him, there are more important things than a greedy landlord, we need to get her home.”
The landlord, identified as Aaron Reiss, has denied the allegations. He told Ynet: “I share in the grief of the dear parents that their daughter will return safely and whole and as soon as possible. In essence, there is a whirlwind of shaming here. My tenant and the abducted woman do not owe me a shekel.”
According to the apartment owner, “the partner took advantage of the situation because now he knew he would have to pay full rent”, insisting that the contract was signed between the apartment owner and Inbar’s partner.