JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jewish settlers who moved into an Arab home near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron have 24 hours to leave, the Israeli army said.
An eviction order issued Monday says the several dozen settlers, including families with young children, must leave by 3 p.m. Tuesday or they will be evacuated by the army. The settlers say they bought the house.
Last week’s middle-of-the-night takeover of the home has been called a "provocation" by the IDF. The eviction order says they are violating public order.
The IDF declared the area around the home a closed military zone and is investigating the ownership of the home.
The settlers have records of a purchase deal, including money transfers, which they turned over to the military.
Settlers reportedly have been purchasing homes and land in Hebron for many years, though many of the purchases have been contested in the courts, according to Ynet.
On Sunday night, about 30 Palestinian and left-wing protesters entered an abandoned home near a yeshiva in Hebron. Two protesters were arrested by Israeli security forces.
