Oz Zion evacuation completed after Shabbat

Illegal West Bank outpost cleared later than planned due to Shabbat, but examination reveals several previous cases of Shabbat evacuations

Yoav Zitun|Published: 12.31.12 , 00:03

The IDF denied claims that the decision not to evacuate the Oz Zion outpost during Shabbat was made by politicians. Sources within the IDF insisted that it was the defense forces' decision to postpone the evacuation until it was done consensually by the settlers, once Shabbat was over.

According to the IDF, the decision to postpone the removal of the settlers from the outpost was made after discussions with rabbis who arrived at the scene. The agreement was that when Shabbat was over, the settlers would leave on their own accord.

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Prior to the agreement, clashes erupted between IDF troops and settlers attempting to hinder the evacuation, resulting in the injuries of five Border Guard soldiers.

At the end of Shabbat, the IDF started to tear down the temporary structures in the outpost, and by 2 am Sunday, a Border Guard force completed the tearing down of all the temporary structures in outpost.

חיילים במאחז עוז ציון, אתמול (צילום: סוכנות תצפית)

Oz Zion outpost, Saturday (Photo: Tazpit News Agency)

המאחז מפונה במוצאי שבת. הגיעו להסכמה (צילום: אוהד צויגנברג)

Clearing out (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

On Sunday afternoon, right-wing activists returned to the area in hopes of rebuilding in the outpost, but were stopped by Border Guard units, which will remain in the area in case the activists return.

Ynet nevertheless learned Sunday that over the past few months, evacuations were indeed conducted during Shabbat. In August, police and Border Guard troops removed settlers from the Mitzpe Avichai and Migron outposts during Shabbat.

Many politicians were enraged over those and other evacuations made during Shabbat, demanding explanations from the forces behind them. The IDF was not part of those actions, which were under police and Border Guard supervision.