Skip to main content

Israel demolishes one West Bank outpost, stalls on another

The Ramat Migron outpost was demolished this morning and now Israeli settlers and right-wing politicians are focusing on preserving the iconic Homesh settlement.
Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

IDF troops and police officers demolished the Ramat Migron outpost this morning in the West Bank. The security forces reportedly tore down four buildings, including the homes of three families and a makeshift yeshiva. Settlers in the place complained of policy brutality, but the police spokesperson rejected the claims, arguing that the evacuation was orderly and conducted according to the law.

Ramat Migron is not far from the relocated site of the original Migron outpost, 14 kilometers north of Jerusalem and near the Palestinian city of Ramallah. Both outposts have been the scenes of controversies and legal disputes. Settler residents have clashed several times with local Palestinians, with both sides blaming each other for violence. The first Migron was evacuated in 2012, under the Benjamin Netanyahu government, following a court ruling that it was built on private Palestinian land. Most of its occupants were offered relocation to a nearby hill. Still, a few houses still stand on the original site and are the topic of a legal dispute.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.