From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 4, 2023
Security forces evacuating illegal West Bank outpost ahead of demolition
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
Police and Civil Administration personnel are in the process of evacuating and demolishing an illegal outpost in the South Hebron Hills region of the West Bank, established in recent weeks by radical settler activists.
The outpost, called Mitzpe Kedem, consists of two rudimentary homes and was set up adjacent to the Asael settlement following the October 7 atrocities.
Two families living at the outpost along with a group of youths are being evacuated by police forces and their belongings removed from the homes before demolition.
In video footage of the settlers being evacuated, one of the residents can be heard verbally abusing one of the Civil Administration personnel, who she claims is “an Arab,” saying “Enjoy, enjoy, Arabs destroying the Jews’ homes, when will you murder us as well? May your names be wiped out, look how much he is enjoying himself.”
Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, head of the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism party, wrote to Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, the head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit of the Defense Ministry, this morning demanding the demolition be halted until he can discuss it with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in accordance with coalition agreements.
It appears, however, that Alian and head of IDF Central Command Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox did not heed Smotrich’s demand since security forces are currently demolishing the outpost.
