Border police forces have reportedly started to demolish two illegally built homes in the Kumi Ori outpost on the outskirts of the Yitzhar settlement. The structures house two families, according to the Yitzhar spokesperson. Kumi Ori was in the news last year when some of the teenagers that lived there, known as hilltop youth, were suspected of attacks against police and border police. A Yitzhar spokesman Avraham Binyamin said the demolition would not pass quietly, noting that thousands of illegal Palestinian homes in the area were still standing. Many residents from all over the area have begun to reach Yitzhar. Police forces have placed barriers on the roads. The two structures were built illegally in Area B of the West Bank, which is under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority. Israeli settlement activity is strictly limited to Area C, which is under Israeli military and civilian control. A High Court of Justice ruling last week against the construction allow for this week’s demolition of the homes. One of the houses belongs to Neria Zarug, who was arrested in November following a series of violent clashes between right-wing extremists and security forces in the area of Yitzhar. At least 15 right-wing activists and three police officers were injured as they clashed during the arrest. That November stand-off lasted for about five hours, until officers were able to burst into a building and extricated Zarug, who had chained himself into a metal apparatus in an apartment so that it would be difficult to arrest him. It was reported that Zarug was injured during the arrest. Police in November said they had encountered violence upon entering the community and were pelted with stones, paint bottles and other objects. A number of security vehicles were also damaged. Security forces had already given Zarug an administrative injunction, barring him from Yitzhar. This is a developing story.
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