Israel evacuates settlers from Hebron home

HEBRON, West Bank, April 4 (UPI) -- Israeli security forces evacuated settlers from a house in a Palestinian neighborhood in Hebron Wednesday without incident, military officials said.

Israeli military officials said evacuation of the settlers, who lived in the house for more than two weeks, was accomplished "without any unusual events," Haaretz reported.

Israel Radio reported hundreds of special police surrounded the dwelling.

Senior officials in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office said the evacuation was carried out after coordination between the defense minister and the prime minister. Aides said Netanyahu answered criticism of the evacuation by saying the prime minister had no choice but to approve the evacuation because of security and legal considerations.

The 15 families moved into the building they said they bought from its Palestinian owner.

The determination to evacuate the settlers came despite a decision by Netanyahu and other government officials late Tuesday to give the settlers in Hebron until April 25 to vacate.

However, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said before a Cabinet meeting Wednesday that he met with Netanyahu and told him that the settlers must be evacuated that day, an official said.

"Attempts to clear up the request permitting the deal and the legality of the purchase will continue in a professional manner, without any delays," Barak said. "A situation in which illegal actions are being taken in order to influence government policy by creating facts on the ground cannot be allowed."

Absorption Minister Yuli Edelstein, who supports the settlers, told Israel Radio the evacuation should have been coordinated, and not have come as a surprise carried out by a special police unit.

"Anything is preferable to the kind of surprise we're experiencing right now," he added. "I am calling on the prime minister to put a stop to this once and for all."

Netanyahu has said he plans to legalize some West Bank outposts, including the Ulpana neighborhood in the West Bank settlement of Beit El that had been scheduled for evacuation in May, Haaretz said.

Netanyahu also said he plans to legalize three illegal West Bank outposts -- Bruchin, Sansana and Rechalim.