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Israeli border policemen patrol next to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, in the background, in the Judean city of Hebron. (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners January 19, 2006 |
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Israel is mobilizing 4,000 police and troops to forcibly remove Jewish settlers from two unauthorized outposts, one in the Judean city of Hebron and another in the Samarian city of Amona, military officials said Thursday.
The evacuations are expected by the beginning of February, the officials said on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Amona, which is north of Jerusalem, contains several permanent structures where dozens of settlers live. Settlers have pledged to strongly resist the dismantling of Amona and have appealed to the Supreme Court in an effort to prevent it.
Charting a strident course toward illegal actions in the settlements, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert directed Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Wednesday to present a plan for the evacuation of some 20 illegal outposts in Judea and Samaria. "This is a fight over the rule of law," Olmert was quoted as saying. Haaretz reported that Olmert has effectively "declared war" on "law-breaking settlers in the West Bank".
The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday lifted its military closure on Jewish areas of Hebron, implemented after days of clashes between settlers and security forces.
Earlier this week, the military declared the Israeli-controlled section of Hebron off-limits to non-residents for the rest of the week, in an attempt to quell unrest, which was touched off by an Israeli government order to evict Jewish "squatters" from Jewish homes in an area inhabited by members of a Jewish community expelled in the 1929 pogroms. Later the residences were taken over by areas and turned into a marketplace.
Israel committed in 2003 to remove all settler outposts in Judea and Samaria in accordance with the internationally-backed "road map" plan that outlines a return to peace talks with the Palestinians.
Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz said that the deadline for evacuating the market in Hebron was February 15, and that Amona should be dismantled by the end of January.
"This time, as opposed to the disengagement, we will show determination with zero tolerance," a police official told Ynet.
Jpost reported that while Mofaz called for more police to implement the law in the territories, Olmert said that what was need was not increased means, but rather more will. He also called for the punishment of civil servants involved in the setting up of illegal outposts.
AP and news services contributed to this report.
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