The Agriculture Ministry's Settlement Authority for the Bedouin in the Negev signed on Wednesday an agreement with the residents of the illegal Umm Al-Hiran setlement.
According to the agreement, the residents of Umm Al-Hiran will willingly move to Neighborhood 12 of nearby Bedouin town of Hura. Each family will receive a free plot of land upon which to build their home, as well as compensation for the older buildings which will be destroyed.
Approximately 200 residents signed the agreement.
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home), who is in charge of the Authority, said, "Proper integration of determination on the part of the law enforcement authorities and a generous offer from the State brought about this agreement, which we are all grateful for. There will be a removal without violence, and with the agreement of Umm Al-Fahm's residents, as ordered by the court."
Settlement Authority for the Bedouin in the Negev Director General Yair Maayan said, "I congratulate the residents of Umm Al-Hiram, who have lived at the site for decades, and I thank the leaders of Umm Al-Hiran, who showed responsible leadership for the good of the people. This agreement of willing removal to Hura's Neighborhood 12, which was developed especially for them, will allow them to continue living together in a new neighborhood, as well as to enjoy Hura's high-level infrastructure and quality of life."
The residents are expected to begin moving to Hura soon, and the move is expected to be completed by August.
Last year, an Israeli police officer was killed and another injured when a Bedouin attacked security forces securing the demolition of illegal structures in Umm Al-Hiran. The attacker, who rammed into the officers, was an Islamist Movement sympathizer.