IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon confirmed today that he has received orders to uproot three outposts in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. He refrained from noting the date that the uprootings would be carried out. "This depends on the relevant legal proceedings and our manpower organization," Yaalon said.
Orders for the removal of nine other outposts have been in force for a number of months, and the three locations that have now been added to the list are Givat Assaf, at a strategic location between Beit El and Ofrah north of Jerusalem; Givat HaDegel, near Karnei Shomron in the Shomron; and one near Negohot in the Southern Hevron Hills.
Correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that there is reason to think that "Sharon is now more determined to 'get back' at the Yesha Council following its recent victory over him in the Likud referendum, but in truth, he's always been serious about his intentions to remove outposts - it's just that the process has been held up in the courts." Court suits are now expected to delay the uprooting of the three latest entries to the list.
Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim, of the Likud's dovish wing, said this morning that four outposts have been removed in the past months. These, it should be noted, consisted mainly of unpopulated sites.
Huberman said that reports were received on Friday that the army was preparing to uproot Mitzpeh Yitzhar, in central Shomron near Shechem (Nablus), as early as tomorrow.
The Assaf outpost was placed on the chopping block a year and a half ago, and court hearings were heard on the matter, but it has not been mentioned since then. Twelve families currently live there, and a mikveh (ritual bath) has been built on the site. It is strategically located on the northern highway from Jerusalem to Ofrah and Shilo, at the turnoff to Beit El, some four kilometers (2.5 miles) away.
Givat HaDegel (Flag Hill) is also known as Ramat Gilad, named in memory of terrorist victim and security coordinator Gilad Zar. Not to be confused with the Gilad Farm, which was dismantled and now has four families in a different location, Ramat Gilad is located near the isolated home of Gilad's parents in the Shomron. A sister of Gilad Zar and her ten children currently live there,
The Bush Administration is reportedly demanding to see, by this coming Friday, a detailed Israeli plan to demolish all unauthorized outposts and to remove many military checkpoints in Judea and Samaria.
Orders for the removal of nine other outposts have been in force for a number of months, and the three locations that have now been added to the list are Givat Assaf, at a strategic location between Beit El and Ofrah north of Jerusalem; Givat HaDegel, near Karnei Shomron in the Shomron; and one near Negohot in the Southern Hevron Hills.
Correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that there is reason to think that "Sharon is now more determined to 'get back' at the Yesha Council following its recent victory over him in the Likud referendum, but in truth, he's always been serious about his intentions to remove outposts - it's just that the process has been held up in the courts." Court suits are now expected to delay the uprooting of the three latest entries to the list.
Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim, of the Likud's dovish wing, said this morning that four outposts have been removed in the past months. These, it should be noted, consisted mainly of unpopulated sites.
Huberman said that reports were received on Friday that the army was preparing to uproot Mitzpeh Yitzhar, in central Shomron near Shechem (Nablus), as early as tomorrow.
The Assaf outpost was placed on the chopping block a year and a half ago, and court hearings were heard on the matter, but it has not been mentioned since then. Twelve families currently live there, and a mikveh (ritual bath) has been built on the site. It is strategically located on the northern highway from Jerusalem to Ofrah and Shilo, at the turnoff to Beit El, some four kilometers (2.5 miles) away.
Givat HaDegel (Flag Hill) is also known as Ramat Gilad, named in memory of terrorist victim and security coordinator Gilad Zar. Not to be confused with the Gilad Farm, which was dismantled and now has four families in a different location, Ramat Gilad is located near the isolated home of Gilad's parents in the Shomron. A sister of Gilad Zar and her ten children currently live there,
The Bush Administration is reportedly demanding to see, by this coming Friday, a detailed Israeli plan to demolish all unauthorized outposts and to remove many military checkpoints in Judea and Samaria.