Middle East

Hebron settlers evicted

Article published on the 2008-12-04 Latest update 2008-12-04 14:49 TU

An Israeli police officer detains a Jewish settler
(Credit: Reuters)

Israeli police are forcibly evicting hard-line Jewish settlers from the West Bank town of Hebron on Thursday, after several days of violent clashes. Young settlers threw rocks at a Palestinian home, prompting police to fire into the air and set off a stun grenade. More than 100 officers, including elite squad members, moved into the building to enforce a court eviction order.

Some 200 people were holed up in the Hebron house which they claim they legally bought from a Palestinian who denies selling it.

Roughly half the people left the four-storey building after the police arrived, but others had to be forcibly dragged out.

“This is part of the doctrine that the settlers have adopted. They call it ‘price tag’,” said correspondent Peretz Kidron in Jerusalem.

“If they are evicted, if they have a setback, vis-à-vis the Israeli authorities, they vent their anger on the Palestinians, burning olive groves and burning crops and attacking homes,” he added.

The forcible eviction occurred just hours after a representative of the settlers met with Defence Minister Ehud Barak in an effort to avoid violent confrontation.

Israel has declared a closed military zone around the residence located in Palestinian area of the West Bank.

Settlers and far-right supporters previously hurled rocks at Palestinians, security forces, homes and desecrated Muslim tombstones in reaction to the military decree.

Israelis are now barred from entering the Palestinian areas of the West Bank city.

On Wednesday, however, security forces did nothing to prevent hundreds of supporters from heading to the controversial house in solidarity with the settlers defying the decision.

Palestinians believe that the issue of settlers encroaching on their land in the Occupied Territories, including the West Bank, is one of the main obstacles to obtaining peace in the Middle East.