A police spokesman said he hoped that residents of the Shomron outpost community would leave their homes without having to be forced out.
The residents, for their part, do not understand why they have been singled out. Elchanan Zilber told Arutz-7 that the Land of Israel Legal Forum has gotten involved, "and the lawyers there have some very interesting claims. They say that under international law, we have at least as much right to be here as the Arabs down below this hill. A survey was taken of this land several years ago to see if any one claimed ownership - and no one did. The next step should have been to declare it state-owned lands - but some leftist elements got involved and blocked it. So we're in a state of limbo."
Elchanan and his wife Naomi have lived in Yitzhar South - also known as Hilltop 725 - with their 11 children for over five years. "The orders say we have to leave immediately," he calmly told Arutz-7. "But I'm not pessimistic. I don't expect anyone to come and throw us out so fast." The last expulsion orders issued at this site were given about two years ago, he said.
Five families and several bachelors live at Hilltop 725, where five permanent structures, a playground, a water tower and a building used as a synagogue have already been built. An area has been set aside for agricultural purposes as well.
Jailed for Returning Home
Among the five married men are two who have received unexplained military administrative orders banning them from Samaria. They are Boaz Albert, father of five, and Ariel Gruner, father of one. Albert, who has been effectively homeless and separated from his family for over four months, finally said a few days ago that he would no longer comply with the orders and returned home - and he is now under arrest.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz issued orders to destroy nascent communities in Judea and Samaria some months ago. On October 25th, aides to Peretz said he planned to take a firm position against unauthorized outposts in Judea and Samaria, and expressed the hope that the expelled citizens would leave voluntarily.
However, the advent of the war with Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon and the subsequent entry of Russian immigrant party Yisrael Beiteinu into the coalition government slowed down the process for a short time.
On October 26th, military sources quoted Defense Minister Amir Peretz as saying that police and military forces would not fully demolish the tiny communities in Judea and Samaria, but instead would target specific homes and buildings that were found to be located on land legally titled to Arab owners.
The decision was to affect a small number of homes in three different Jewish communities. As in the case of the nine structures that were demolished in Amona nine months ago, the police are to carry out the actual destruction, with the army ordered to restrict its activities to providing a peripheral security zone. Hundreds of people who arrived to protest the destruction of nine buildings in the Amona community were injured by police at the scene.
(To view a video of the destruction of the nine structures in Amona, click here.)
The residents, for their part, do not understand why they have been singled out. Elchanan Zilber told Arutz-7 that the Land of Israel Legal Forum has gotten involved, "and the lawyers there have some very interesting claims. They say that under international law, we have at least as much right to be here as the Arabs down below this hill. A survey was taken of this land several years ago to see if any one claimed ownership - and no one did. The next step should have been to declare it state-owned lands - but some leftist elements got involved and blocked it. So we're in a state of limbo."
Elchanan and his wife Naomi have lived in Yitzhar South - also known as Hilltop 725 - with their 11 children for over five years. "The orders say we have to leave immediately," he calmly told Arutz-7. "But I'm not pessimistic. I don't expect anyone to come and throw us out so fast." The last expulsion orders issued at this site were given about two years ago, he said.
Five families and several bachelors live at Hilltop 725, where five permanent structures, a playground, a water tower and a building used as a synagogue have already been built. An area has been set aside for agricultural purposes as well.
Jailed for Returning Home
Among the five married men are two who have received unexplained military administrative orders banning them from Samaria. They are Boaz Albert, father of five, and Ariel Gruner, father of one. Albert, who has been effectively homeless and separated from his family for over four months, finally said a few days ago that he would no longer comply with the orders and returned home - and he is now under arrest.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz issued orders to destroy nascent communities in Judea and Samaria some months ago. On October 25th, aides to Peretz said he planned to take a firm position against unauthorized outposts in Judea and Samaria, and expressed the hope that the expelled citizens would leave voluntarily.
However, the advent of the war with Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon and the subsequent entry of Russian immigrant party Yisrael Beiteinu into the coalition government slowed down the process for a short time.
On October 26th, military sources quoted Defense Minister Amir Peretz as saying that police and military forces would not fully demolish the tiny communities in Judea and Samaria, but instead would target specific homes and buildings that were found to be located on land legally titled to Arab owners.
The decision was to affect a small number of homes in three different Jewish communities. As in the case of the nine structures that were demolished in Amona nine months ago, the police are to carry out the actual destruction, with the army ordered to restrict its activities to providing a peripheral security zone. Hundreds of people who arrived to protest the destruction of nine buildings in the Amona community were injured by police at the scene.
(To view a video of the destruction of the nine structures in Amona, click here.)