Israeli military takes over contested West Bank complex

Scuffles continue between Jewish settlers and Israeli police at Beit El in the West Bank.

Video released by local media showed police pushing back protesters who confronted them at the site of the so-called Dreinoff buildings, reportedly being built on private Palestinian land that was seized by the army in the 1970s. About 50 protesters were detained during the evacuation, which turned violent.

On Tuesday, the Beit El Council filed an appeal to overturn the demolition order.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government opposes the demolition of the Beit El homes.

“A border police unit on Tuesday took control of the Dreinoff buildings ahead of their demolition as ordered by the High Court with the aim of avoiding violence during the operation”, an Israeli military statement said.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under worldwide law, but not by the Israeli authorities.

The ongoing building on the lands of the occupied West Bank is perceived as additional complications to peace negotiations and further impediments in forming an independent Palestinian state.

It has only a narrow majority in parliament following elections in March.

Also on Tuesday, Jewish settlers who entered Sa-Nur settlement near Jenin, which was evacuated ten years ago under Israel’s government “Disengagement” plan, were facing an ultimatum for evacuation.

Tempers are high among some in the settler community as it marks a decade since Israel’s “disengagement” from the Gaza Strip, when Israel in the summer of 2005 withdrew all its civilians and soldiers from all of the settlements in the coastal territory.

Not to demolish “I will request that the government’s stance, to the effect that the planning process at the site has been concluded and that there is thus no need to demolish the houses, will be brought before the high court of justice as well”.

The government says it will fight the ruling and is making efforts to legalize the complex.

Bennett and other right-wing legislators criticized Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon for sending in police to remove the demonstrators from the building.