Jewish Settlers Evicted From Hebron Home

Jewish settlers were evicted from a home near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

Israeli security forces on Wednesday evacuated the Jewish families from the home that they entered a week ago in the middle of the night.

The evacuation of the men, women and children reportedly took only a few moments and was not violent.

The evacuation took place a day after a meeting convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top government ministers, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Benny Begin, which had decided that the settlers would be removed from the home by April 26 if they could not prove that they had legally purchased and moved into the house.

The eviction order issued Monday afternoon by the Israeli military’s Civil Administration said the settlers’ presence in the home violates public order. The residents of the home also did not request nor receive a required purchase permit from the Civil Administration.

On Monday evening, Netanyahu asked Barak for a delay of the eviction until the settlers had an opportunity to prove in court their ownership of the house.

Armed with documents that say they purchased the home from its Arab owner, the Jewish families entered the home in the middle of the night on March 28.

Hebron Mayor Khaled Osaily told Army Radio on Tuesday that the sale papers are forged and that the person who sold the house to the Jewish settlers is not the owner.