Hebron showdown - teenage foodfight does not halt eviction of settlers from market
Even though a dozen soldiers refused to follow orders and take on the young Jewish settlers, this morning's planned eviction of two families who were illegally occupying apartments in Hebron concluded well before noon.
A piece by Efrat Weiss on Ynetnews describes the morning confrontation, which was quite mild when compared to the violent resistance triggered in the past when police forcibly shut down other settlements. It resulted in arrests and injuries. Police took the brunt of the action; in the contested City of the Patriarchs, the IDF traditionally protects the settlers from the Arab residents. Brace yourself for more fallout in this volatile historic city.
Police evacuate Hebron settlers
Large police and Border Guard forces completed Tuesday morning the evacuation of two families and hundreds of right-wing settlers, mostly teenagers, who have taken over two houses in the Hebron marketplace.
Fifteen policemen and 14 rightists who barricaded themselves inside the buildings were injured in the course of the evacuation. Nine people were evacuated to hospital for treatment and 13 rioters were arrested.
The evacuation began at 6:20 am, after the forces broke in through the doors that have been welded and started to forcefully evacuate the people inside. Each of the settlers was carried out by four policemen, while rightists standing on the rooftops threw stones, oil and eggs at the forces.
Hebron District police commander Avshalom Peled said that "there were no significant displays of violence. We are working slowly and are following specific orders… we instructed the policemen to be attentive and exhibit restraint and sensitivity, and also determination where needed."
The security forces plan to remove the doors and windows at the two occupied houses, in order to render them unfit for living.
At about 4:30 am, the teen activists at the place were called to wake up and prepare for the evacuation. At the same time, IDF forces and Magen David Adom ambulances began arriving at the place. Some of the youths hurled stones at the policeman from one of the roofs, but no injuries or damage were reported.
Earlier, the settlers welded the entrance to one of the houses and the structure's windows in order to prevent security forces from entering.
The members of the settlers community in Hebron convened the youths that have arrived in the place to protest the evacuation Monday evening, and stressed to them that violence must be avoided during the operation. However, they were instructed to "hold on firmly to the houses."
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