IDF troops today forbade residents of the West Bank Bedouin village of Mukhmas from rebuilding their homes following an arson attack by Israeli settler extremists, Haaretz daily reports.
Residents tell the outlet that IDF soldiers arrived at the village at around noon today to halt work on the reconstruction, insisting that the area was a closed military zone and the Civil Administration had not approved the work.
In the meantime, an Israeli man began entering the damaged homes and taking photographs, the residents say. When they asked the soldiers why, they replied, “He can do what he wants,” and “This is our land, a closed military zone.”
The IDF declared the area a closed military zone — barring the entry of Israelis — at the end of December, saying the measure was needed to ensure the safety of the residents after a settler attack.
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