Demolition
DemolitionIsrael news photo (file): Yochai Damri

Police forces and Yassam tactical unit officers on Wednesday destroyed four homes in Geulat Tzion, a small agricultural community located near Shiloh in the Samaria (Shomron) region.

Jewish-owned homes in the region are demolished from time to time by IDF forces acting under orders from the Civil Administration, which claims that the homes were built illegally.

Before demolishing the structures, security forces ordered an eviction of the four houses. Two residents were accused of trying to breach a closed military zone declared around the area and allegedly threw rocks at the security forces, but both were detained shortly after.

A group of Christian volunteers witnessed the IDF destroying the four homes in Samaria. Tommy Waller of the HaYovel organization told Arutz Sheva they were "devastated" upon seeing the army bulldoze the homes.

"When we came here last year, one of our volunteers watched them build one of the houses," Waller said.

The volunteers, who are helping farm in nearby Shiloh, were shocked to see the IDF demolish three caravan style trailer homes and one hand-built stone house. "One of our volunteers had even been in the house last year," Waller stated. "We came back from break shocked to see the IDF tearing it down. It was very emotional. They violently pulled everything out of the house, bulldozed it, then destroyed all the furniture," Waller stated.

Police began receiving calls from Arabs in the nearby village of Galud around 3 hours after the demolitions. The calls were reports of vandalism on Arab owned fields, olive trees, numerous vehicles, and a local school. Detectives from a patrol unit specializing in nationalistic crimes were soon on the scene and arrested four suspects wearing masks as they allegedly threw stones at security forces.

The detainees were suspected of entering the village, damaging Arab property, and causing a number of disturbances. They were brought to the central unit squad which inspects nationalistic crimes for further questioning.