Protests at Beit El
Protests at Beit ElRafael Levy

Hundreds of people have been gathering since Tuesday morning adjacent to the Draynoff compound in Beit El, which was stormed overnight by security forces despite the ongoing legalization process to save the buildings from demolition.

In the late afternoon residents made renewed attempts to break back into the buildings, a development that has led to clashes with the security officers trying to prevent them from returning to the homes.

Police have detained several activists as a result of the clashes.

Meanwhile steps are being taken to avoid the standoff. The MD Yonatan Construction and Development Ltd. filed a last-gasp petition to the High Court on Tuesday morning asking to prevent the demolition of the two buildings in western Beit El.

Following the petition, the Supreme Court has ordered the state, Beit El regional council and the claimant of ownership over the land to respond to the petition by 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The construction company argued in its petition that the Civil Administration's decision to clear the land for building last week is a material change necessitating the reappraisal of the High Court's demolition order against the compound.

However, Supreme Court Justice Anat Baron on Sunday issued a temporary order preventing new approvals from being processed by the High Court, meaning that for the moment the demolition order still stands.

During the nighttime storming and expulsion of Jews from the buildings, at least 50 people were arrested in clashes with security forces and video and photographic evidence reveals incidents of police brutality being used against Beit El residents, Israeli media has reported.