Israel Begins Evicting Settlers from Hebron House
Israeli forces on Wednesday began evicting a group of settlers from a disputed house in the West Bank city of Hebron, a day after they were ordered to leave the property, police said.
"The security forces are evacuating the house at this moment," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
"Israeli police officers, border police and the IDF (army) coordinated an operation and that is under way now," he told Agence France Presse, saying the evictions began "after the government decision was made."
Six families of Jewish settlers moved into the property a week ago, claiming they had legally purchased one floor of the building from its Palestinian owners.
But the Israeli defense ministry said they had not obtained the necessary military permits for the purchase and on Monday ordered them to leave the premises within 24 hours.
An AFP correspondent at the scene said two buses of Israeli police dressed in black pulled up, and the officers fanned out around the house.
One of the settlers inside the house also confirmed that they were being taken out of the property.
"They are evacuating us now," he told AFP before hanging up the phone, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The surprise move came just hours after a top-level meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak and two other ministers, at which they apparently decided to push ahead with the eviction.
Israeli public radio had earlier reported that the ministers had decided to grant those living inside the house a three-week extension.
Source: Agence France Presse
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