Illegal West Bank outpost of Sde Yonatan evacuated and demolished, 10 activists detained

The illegal outpost of Sde Yonatan in the West Bank was evacuated and demolished by Border Police and Civil Administration forces, the second such demolition of an illegal outpost in the territory in less than 48 hours.

A rudimentary residential building and a goat pen were destroyed by the Civil Administration forces during the operation, reports say.

Settler activists state that the Border Police officers were violent when evacuating the residents of the outpost, punching and kicking the residents and throwing them to the ground. Three people were injured during the incident, the activists say.

A Magen David Adom ambulance was called to the area but was prevented from reaching the outpost, the activists allege. Paramedics from United Hatzalah also arrived at the scene to treat one person who was lightly injured during the incident and needed stitches on his hand.

Activists say that the area was declared a closed military zone before the evacuation began and phones belonging to the residents and activists at the site were confiscated.

Ten people were detained at the site during the enforcement operation, three of whom were taken to the local police station. The other seven were released after the demolition had been completed.

The outpost, close to the settlement of Michmash northeast of Jerusalem, was built on private Palestinian land, the Civil Administration says.

It has been built and demolished several times in the last two years and was most recently reestablished shortly after the beginning of the current war with Hamas.

The Border Police declined to comment on the incident.