Police evacuate Jewish squatters from Hebron
Israeli police, using sledge hammers, chain saws and power clippers, stormed a building in the West Bank town of Hebron early today and dragged out hundreds of settlers who had holed up there illegally, hoping to expand the Jewish presence in the volatile biblical city.
Settlers hurled stones, water, oil and concrete powder as police, backed by army troops, broke through fortified doors and carried out the squatters one by one.
Three settlers sealed themselves inside a concrete bunker built for the stand-off.
“This is a crime against justice and against Jewish history,” said Noam Arnon, a spokesman for the Hebron settlers. “I am sure we will return. Hebron has a long history and we will return.”
Hebron, a frequent flashpoint of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, is home to about 500 Jewish settlers living in heavily-guarded enclaves among some 170,000 Palestinians. Clashes are frequent.
Israel controls the centre of the city, including a hotly-disputed holy site holy to both Jews and Muslims – the traditional burial site of the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and three of their wives. Its large military presence often hinders the movement of Palestinians. The Palestinians control the rest of Hebron.
