Illegal Arab Buildings Demolished Near New Israeli Towns

The Civil Administration's enforcement unit, operating under Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, carried out a major enforcement operation Wednesday in Samaria and the Hebron Hills, removing dozens of threats to recently established communities in the region.

The operation cleared illegal encroachments and plantings covering 20 dunams of state land near the community of Mekadeh in the Hebron Hills. Structures erected near the community of Shira in Samaria were demolished at the same time. Shira is slated to become a city following a cabinet decision led by Minister Smotrich.

The enforcement action is part of a broader push to reassert Israeli control in the area. That push includes approving new settlements, moving their planning through the legal process, placing initial groups of residents on the ground, and demolishing illegal construction so the new communities can take root and grow.

Religious Zionism party chairman, Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich stated: "In the past four years, we have led a determined policy of fortifying and strengthening settlements, removing threats from the area and demolishing illegal construction on an unprecedented scale. This is what the Eisenkot-Liberman-Golan government wants to stop, and we cannot allow that to happen."

Smotrich added: "The demolition of structures adjacent to the community of Shira takes on additional significance, as the demolition scene clearly shows the nearby houses of Rosh HaAyin, illustrating how these communities serve as Israel's security buffer zone. I thank the personnel of the Civil Administration's enforcement unit and the Settlement Administration for leading these important initiatives."

The operation joins a series of enforcement actions carried out by the Civil Administration's enforcement unit in recent months. In late July, the unit demolished a line of strategic Palestinian structures in northern Samaria following the government's decision to return to the area. That operation included demolishing a four-story building covering approximately 800 square meters used for industry and residential purposes, as well as a 450-square-meter structure used for commerce and industry.

The Civil Administration's enforcement unit continues to act against illegal construction in other areas. In August, the Land Enforcement Authority demolished illegal structures at the Honi HaMe'agel tomb complex in Hatzor HaGlilit as part of an effort to regulate the site and improve safety there.