Israel’s Peace Now movement today issued the following press release, after scoring a major victory in its fight against Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank.

High Court Orders Evacuation of 17 Structures in The Illegal Outpost of Derech Ha'Avot

Earlier today the High Court of Justice ruled on a petition submitted by Peace Now and by Palestinian landowners on the illegal outpost of Derech Ha'Avot. In its verdict, the High Court demanded that the State will evacuate 17 structures in the illegal outpost, located near Bethlehem. The court strongly criticized the State, which tried to retract its previous commitments, and over and over again postponed the enforcement of the law with regards to illegal construction in the outpost while raising a variety of contradicting excuses. The High Court ordered that the evacuation of the structures and fulfilment of the demolition order will be executed within 18 months (by March 2018), and ordered the State to pay high legal expenses.

Peace Now: "15 years after their lands were taken over, the Palestinian landowners can now have hopes to return to their lands. This verdict exposes, yet again, the governments' attempt to bend the law for the benefit of settlers. We hope that the verdict will be implemented fully and in a timely manner, and that the State will abstain from assisting the theft of private Palestinian lands in other cases as well. Peace Now will continue its struggle to prevent further settlement expansion meant to prevent a future peace agreement based on the two state solution."