SHIRAT HAYAM – House demolitions are starting: IDF forces began razing abandoned structures Sunday at the southern Gaza Strip settlement of Shirat HaYam, near the Gush Katif hotel where far right activists have gathered ahead of the upcoming pullout.
Meanwhile, a soldier tasked with securing the demolition works yelled out “A Jew doesn’t expel a Jew” during the works and refused to perform the mission. The soldier’s commanders promptly took away his weapon and removed him from the area.
The soldier is now expected to face legal action.
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Overall, the army razed about 11 abandoned structures, which the activists were unable to renovate yet. The IDF apparently demolished the structures for fear the right-wingers would use them to house more pullout objectors.
The IDF declared the area a closed military zone before the bulldozers moved in. Before 1967, Egyptian army officers used the structures as vacation homes.
‘We can live in tents’
Settlers said the army clashed with them while razing the structures. Dozens of Gush Katif residents have arrived at the site but were unable to stop the demolition work, the settlers said.
Far right leader Arik Yitzhaki told Ynet the activists could not do much to prevent the razing, but added that other solutions can be found.
“We can live in tents too,” he said, and slammed the army for following what he called blatantly illegal orders.
During the works, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reporter Itzik Saban sustained light injuries after he apparently clashed with soldiers. Saban was taken to hospital for treatment.
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