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IDF evacuates Palestinian 'outpost'
Residents of village of Bilin, Israeli peace activists place caravans west of separation fence, on lands they claim were expropriated in favor of new neighborhood in settlement of Modiin Elite; security forces break into caravan, detain seven protesters
Efrat Weiss
IDF soldiers and police officers operating in the West Bank village of Bilin evacuated Thursday evening the caravan built by Palestinians west of the separation fence.
Security forces evacuated the protestors from the caravan, lifted it with a crane and detained seven of the protesters.
Residents of the village, located between Modiin and Ramallah, clashed with the soldiers and police officers, who arrived at the "outpost" Thursday evening.
The outpost was built early Tuesday near a new neighborhood being built in the settlement of Modiin Elite. According to the Palestinians, army and police forces arrived at the village, deployed along the fence and prevented residents from reaching their friends at the outpost.
Later, Palestinians reported that dozens of soldiers and police officers were trying to break into the "outpost." The protestors and peace activists in the area reported that more than 100 police officers and soldiers were trying to break into a caravan consisting of a large group of residents and peace activists and surrounded by dozens of protestors trying to prevent the evacuation.
The outpost, which is comprised of one caravan placed west of the fence, was built by residents of the village and their supporters, Israeli and international peace activists. They called the outpost "the joint peace center" and said its goal is to declare that the land on which it was built was expropriated and belongs to Bilin.
The Palestinians claimed that when they build an outpost on their land, the army arrives to evacuate them, contrary to the soldiers' helplessness in light of the hundreds of outpost built on Palestinian territory in the West Bank.
However, IDF sources made it clear that the constructions are evacuated from the area like any other illegal construction in the West Bank.
Earlier Thursday, the IDF and the Civil Administration announced that they would soon evacuate the Palestinian "outpost."
Bilin residents placed the caravans in the area early Tuesday. Since the outpost was built, about 15 people have been sleeping in it, most of them Bilin residents and some of them peace activists.
The first caravan was stationed in the area early Tuesday, and a few hours later Palestinians and Israeli peace activists placed a few more caravans, which they claimed would constitute a joint international peace center.
Palestinians: Caravan is only the beginning
The caravans were stationed west of the separation fence, on territories of the village which, according to the Palestinians, were expropriated along with another 2,500 dunam (about 625 acres) in order to extend the Modiin Elite settlement.
On Thursday afternoon, dozens of Palestinians and left-wing peace activists, who usually demonstrate in the area every Friday against the fence, gathered in the area where the separation fence is being built, near Bilin.
The demonstrators hurled stones at security forces, and the soldiers retaliated with demonstration dispersion equipment. There were no reports of injuries.
Mohammed Khatib, head of the Bilin Popular Committee, told Ynet Thursday that "we want to demonstrate in a non-violent way."
"We built an outpost because we want to protest the fact that the settlers are residing on these lands. The settlers control lands that don’t belong to them, and we are merely building constructions on lands that belong to us," he said.
"The army and the Civil Administration asked us to leave the area. We told them to look backwards (toward Modiin Elite) at the 3,000 apartments built illegally," he added.
"We intend on staying here and declare the establishment of a new neighborhood in the village of Billin. The caravan is only the beginning," he stressed.
Khatib added that the protestors have called the caravans "the center for a joint struggle for peace" and said he hoped such centers would be built not only in Bilin, but across the West Bank.
"We are liberators, not settlers," he added.
Ali Waked contributed to the report
| First Published: | 12.22.05, 18:47 |
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