Police remove 9 families from homes in Ofra ahead of demolition February 28, 2017Police remove a demonstrator from the vicinity of the nine condemned homes. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)(Hadas Parush/Flash90)Police remove 9 families from homes in Ofra ahead of demolitionPolice removed nine Israeli families from their homes, which were allegedly built on privately owned Palestinian land. Police forces on Tuesday evicted nine Jewish families from their homes in the Israeli community of Ofra, in Samaria, north of Jerusalem.The forces were acting in accordance with a February 2015 High Court of Justice ruling that the buildings were built on land privately owned by Palestinians, although the alleged landowners have not proven their claim.On Monday, the High Court has turned down the request of the residents to seal the homes rather then destroy them. Under a High Court order, the homes are to be demolished by Sunday.Hundreds of protesters, mostly youth, gathered at the site and demonstrated against the eviction and demolition.No major disturbances were reported, and only a few individuals were detained by police.This incident comes just weeks after 42 families living in the Israeli community of Amona in Samaria were removed from their homes by large police forces. Their homes were demolished for similar reasons.By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News AmonaJudea and SamariaOfra
