Illegal outpost
Photo: Sebastian Scheiner
Civil Administration to present outpost demolition plan
In response to Peace Now petition, state reveals it has begun mapping illegal structures in West Bank, within four months working plan for their destruction will be presented to political echelons; Peace Now skeptical: Defense Minister must keep promise to raze outposts within one year
The Civil Administration revealed late Sunday that in recent weeks an initiative has been launched to map all illegal outpost structures in the West Bank. When the mapping is complete, a plan for their demolition will be presented to the political echelons.
With that, on Sunday the IDF finished sealing off the Beit Shapira house in Hebron, from which three families residing there with invalid documents and dozens of teenage activists were evacuated in the morning. Border Guard forces were deployed to guard the house to prevent settlers from attempting reentry.
Recently Peace Now petitioned the High Court of Justice demanding that the court order the demolition of six permanent structures build without a permit in the Harasha outpost, and 12 more allegedly illegal structures in Hayovel outpost in Binyamin.
The State Prosecutor’s Office responded to the petition saying that the Civil Administration had begun comprehensive mapping of all illegal outposts in the West Bank territories. The mapping was expected to take about four months, after which a working plan for the outpost demolition would be presented to the government, they said.
Furthermore, in response to the petition it was noted that the Civil Administration was working vigorously, in particular against illegal construction being started on private Palestinian-owned land.
The administration is holding weekly meetings, along with IDF commanders in Judea and Samaria, in which they discuss cases of illegal construction – by Jews and Palestinians, and issuing demolition orders against the structures, the prosecutor's office said.
Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer responded to the government activity with limited enthusiasm. “Despite the declarations, the defense minister is not setting a goal date to evacuate the outposts, so the statements must be taken with a grain of salt. Defense Minister Amir Peretz must uphold his promise to clear all the outposts within one year,” Oppenheimer said.
