BICOM

Israeli security forces have evicted a group of Jewish settlers from a disputed building in the Arab part of the West Bank city of Hebron. The operation was carried out in a very short period of time and according to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, there were no physical confrontations.

The move came despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asking Defence Minister Ehud Barak to allow the residents to stay while their legal case was being clarified. After the eviction, Netanyahu stated he remains committed to strengthening Jewish residents, but that his government is ultimately guided by the rule of law.

The settlers moved into the two-storey building on Thursday night, seeking to expand the settlement of some 500 families in the heart of Hebron, home to 180,000 Palestinians.

The military authorities ordered the settlers out of the house because they had not received permission to buy it. The settlers say they purchased the house from its Palestinian owners legally. But the head of the local Palestinian police force disputed the deal’s validity, saying the building had more than 50 owners, only one of which had sold his share to the settlers.

The standoff has somewhat divided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, with some lawmakers expressing support for the settlers and others calling for them to leave. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman criticised the eviction and said the issue is threatening the stability of the government.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who ordered the eviction, said the settlers were removed because they failed to get military permission before moving into the home. “We cannot allow a situation where unlawful actions are taken to determine or dictate ad hoc facts to the authorities,” Barak said.