Israeli government calls to close settlement as settlers attack Palestinians
Despite the calls to close off Homesh, settlers gathered there and attacked Sebastia and Burqa.
Jerusalem24 – The Israeli government instructed the military not to allow the construction of new buildings in the evacuated Homesh settlement constructed on the lands of Burqa and Silat Al-Dahr.
The settlement itself was evacuated in 2005 by order of the Israeli settlement, however that did not stop the settlers from returning and establishing a religious school there.
This came according to what the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Kan 11 reported Friday evening. In the report, it was stated that the Israeli political leadership does not want to repeat what happened with the Eviyatar settlement outpost.
Last June, the Israeli government, headed by Naftali Bennet reached an agreement with the settlement council in the occupied West Bank. The agreement stipulated that Eviyatar be evacuated and that an Israeli military force would remain occupying the mountain. Afterwards, a religious school would be established after 6 weeks when the legal status of the lands would be examined.
Residents of Beita protested daily around the town of Beita, resulting in several deaths and dozens of injured.
Despite the government’s recommendation to close off Homesh, which came after a settler was killed and two others were wounded near the Homesh settlement, Israeli settlers continue to return to the settlement.
Just last night, before midnight, groups of settlers gathered there ignoring that the area is supposed to be a closed off military zone.
Witnesses told the Palestinian daily newspaper, Al-Quds that Israeli settlers reached the area on foot accompanied by three rabbis. The settler proceeded to march towards the town of Burqa, prompting confrontations between the Palestinians and the settlers.
Meanwhile the Mayor of Sebastia, Mohammed Azem said to WAFA that last night Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes near the entrance to the town. The settlers threw stones and even fired live ammunition towards the residents who went out to confront them.
According to Azem, as the confrontations extended the Israeli military arrived firing teargas and flashbangs towards the Palestinians. Causing dozens of cases of suffocation.
