The police are preparing for the evacuation of hundreds of settlers who reoccupied
the settlement of Homesh which was evacuated and destroyed in the summer of 2005 under Israel's disengagement plan.
Police officials said should the settlers fail to evacuate willingly, the government would be inclined to give the green light for the forceful evacuation of several dozen teenage settlers who vowed to put up a tough resistance.
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| Tires of Border Guard jeeps slashed in Homesh / Efrat Weiss |
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Right-wing activists vandalize security forces vehicles in former West Bank settlement. Hundreds remain in Homesh; police preparing to evacuate them Tuesday afternoon |
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"Our aim is not to confront the security forces but to build Homesh anew and therefore, as far as we are concerned, the issue is not a struggle. If they evacuate us we will return," said Yossi Dagan, an organizer of the plan to reoccupy the former settlement.
The army blocked roads leading to the settlement on Monday night to stem the flow of settlers.
Despite the army's measure, Zefat Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu managed to reach Homesh along with a dozen right-wing activists and gave Torah lessons to teenage settlers on the ruins of the former settlement.
Settlers slammed the army for not allowing them to provide food, water and medicine to their comrades in Homesh.
"If people dehydrate, this will fall under the responsibility of the political elements who gave the army these orders," settlers said.
The Chairman of the National Union-NRP faction, MK Uri Ariel, described the army's attitude towards the settlers as "inhumane," charging that the military allowed food supplies into former Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat when he was besieged in Ramallah.
An army officer told Ynet in response: "We will not allow the transportation of supplies to an illegal area. Soldiers have water and if someone needs to drink he can approach them."
"Homesh was rebuilt yesterday, and even if the prime minister and defense minister decide based on small political evaluations not to fix the mistake of eviction and evict us for a second time from our land, we will return to Homesh and rebuild the settlement again," said Dagan.
Amnon Meranda contributed to this report
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