Civil Administration forces carried out targeted enforcement activity this week at the entrance to the city of Ariel, during which several Palestinian Authority (PA) Arab shops and commercial structures were demolished.
The structures had been built without permits and in violation of the law in Area C, the area of Judea and Samaria under Israeli military and civil control. The operation was conducted as part of the ongoing effort to counter illegal Arab construction in Judea and Samaria.
The demolitions were carried out in accordance with the policy led by Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich. The policy is aimed at strengthening Israeli governance in the area and thwarting PA attempts to unilaterally establish facts on the ground. Smotrich emphasized that the State of Israel will not allow illegal takeover of its land.
Smotrich welcomed the demolitions, stating that the move is part of a broader shift in Judea and Samaria and adding, "As part of the overall transformation we are leading in Judea and Samaria, we are enforcing the law decisively against illegal construction."
Referring to Palestinian Authority plans, Smotrich stressed that enforcement authorities will continue to act wherever the PA attempts to create reality on the ground. "The days of Arab takeover of land under the ‘Fayyad Plan’ are over." he said.
Alongside enforcement actions, the minister also highlighted ongoing development in the area.
"Just this week, we laid the cornerstone for a new neighborhood of 12,000 housing units in Ariel," Smotrich noted, adding that the combined efforts are intended to ensure the Jewish People's ancestral homeland remains under Israeli control.