A tractor destroys a home in Ramat Magron
A tractor destroys a home in Ramat MagronPhoto Credit: Photographer

At around four o'clock this morning (Tuesday), a large group of police and Civil Administration staff raided Ramat Migron in the Benjamin region of Samaria and began demolishing the houses of the three families living on the hill.

The residents reported severe police violence, including against women and children, even though the residents did not resist at all. Residents’ cellphones were confiscated as were those of other citizens who came to the scene to document the incident.

Four residents were injured by police, including a 17-year-old girl who was injured in the head and hands. Police arrested six residents who were demonstrating against the destruction.

"The police just came running and swooped onto the hill," said Hodia Kehati, a resident of Migron. "They beat anyone in sight -- including young girls -- and simply stole the phones of anyone who tried to record the violence. We asked the police to send a medic to treat the injured girl who was bleeding or at least allow us to call Magen David Adom, but they refused. It was a difficult and shocking sight."

"Within minutes, we were evicted from our house, all our furniture and personal possessions were thrown out and a tractor ran over the house smashing it to pieces," Kehati said of the severe destruction they experienced.

In response to the destruction this morning, residents of Ramat Migron comment that it is impossible to ignore the fact that we are in an election period. “It seems that Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Yair Lapid have decided to conduct their election campaign on the backs of the residents of the hill communities,” they said, “while cynically exploiting the position they currently hold. During the evictions, the police use severe violence, unnecessarily, and it seems as if they received an order from above to ‘give it to the settlers.’ At any cost."

MK Itamar Ben Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) said in response to the destruction: "Community-Eviction Minister Gantz continues time and time again to evacuate outposts and surrender to Abu Mazen, a Holocaust denier, his friend. Today there is another evacuation in Ramat Migron. They are uprooting and destroying - we will plant and resettle. The answer to the evacuation will be given On November 1st with a real right-wing government.”