BICOM

Violence erupted this morning between Israeli police and young people protesting against the removal of two mobile homes illegally built at the former West Bank outpost of Amona.

Ten protesters and 23 police officers were injured during the operation. The Israeli Border Police said up to 300 youths barricaded themselves in the temporary structures, poured oil on the road and threw objects in an attempt to prevent the evacuation. Seven protestors were arrested.

Two mobile homes were built on 14 December by settler leaders who claimed that the land on which they were built had been legally purchased from the original Palestinian landowners. Although the sale was approved by the Civil Administration, the settlers did not receive building permits from the relevant authorities. Shortly after entering the site they filed a petition with the Jerusalem District Court against their eviction. On Wednesday, the court denied their petition and said there were no further legal obstacles preventing the removal of the buildings. Israel’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said in an interview with Army Radio that the decision to remove the structures was made the same night.

HaYamin HeHadash, the ‘New Right’ party formed by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Shaked, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove illegal structures in Khan al-Ahmar, saying “the law is the law is the law”.

“The selective enforcement against only Jews in Amona, in the face of the fear of evacuating illegal and unrestrained Arab construction in Khan al-Ahmar, portrays the Israeli Government’s weakness and hesitation vis-a-vis the Palestinians, and undermines the State of Israel’s deterrence,” the party said.

Amona was evacuated by court order in February 2017 because it was illegally built on privately owned Palestinian land. It was subsequently declared a closed-military-zone and Israelis and Palestinians were prohibited from entering the area.