Three residential homes and several agricultural structures were demolished before dawn on Thursday at the Kfar Tarfon Jewish community in the Binyamin region, in a large-scale operation carried out around 3:00 AM by Border Police forces and Civil Administration inspectors.
Approximately 100 police officers and inspectors arrived at the site—located adjacent to the community of Ateret—escorted by heavy engineering machinery. During the operation, bulldozers razed three residential dwellings used by local residents, alongside a sheep pen, a chicken coop, and a communal dining hall. Security forces also confiscated two vehicles and additional equipment belonging to the residents.
According to accounts from residents at the scene, forces ordered two families residing at the location to remain inside their homes and barred them from exiting while bulldozers demolished nearby structures. Residents of Kfar Tarfon said the demolition followed a High Court of Justice petition filed by Arab claimants concerning the neighboring archaeological site of Khirbet Tarfin. The residents contend that the petitioners themselves had illegally trespassed onto the heritage site, damaged ancient remains, and constructed two illegal residences within its perimeter.
“This is an absurd process in which Central Command and the High Court surrendered to the demands of Arab trespassers instead of prosecuting them criminally,” outpost residents stated following the demolition. “A delusional reversal of justice has taken place here.” According to the residents, Khirbet Tarfin dates back to the Second Temple period and suffered for years from systematic antiquities looting and the destruction of historical ruins. They noted that although the Civil Administration had previously cleared illegal construction from the archaeological site, trespassers subsequently reinvaded the area and erected two houses.
“The looting of antiquities and destruction of the site ceased with the establishment of the hilltop outpost, thanks to the Jewish presence on the ground,” the residents maintained, adding that the Arab claimants subsequently petitioned the High Court demanding security escorts to return to the area and the eviction of the Jewish settlement point. The residents also sharply criticized the conduct of the Defense Ministry and the Civil Administration, alleging that state representatives failed to contest the petition in court or present evidence of illegal squatting and damage to the archaeological ruins. “In a baffling manner, the Defense Ministry and the Civil Administration made no effort to fight this baseless petition in court,” the residents charged. “Not only did they fail to clarify that these are trespassers who ought to be arrested—tonight they also carried out a violent and brutal demolition on the hill.”