11:25AM IL: [VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] The eviction of Amona 2017 has been called Operation ‘Locked Garden 2’ and it is underway. Police have ignored the burning tires, stones, boulders and oil on the road and climbed up the terraced mountain as large bulldozers stand by, clearly to open the road once the order is given.

At present, the operation is by and large peaceful while some youths are attacking police with stones despite efforts by evictees to prevent this. Police have yet to respond. A number of stone-throwing youths have been distanced by community leaders, who are clearly angered over the attack against security forces.

Under one building, six to seven teens are under the structure with chains and other adjuncts which they hope “will detain police”, adding “we will not raise a hand to any officer for we believe in non-violence. That said, there are our homes and lives and we cannot just leave. B’ezras Hashem we will succeed”.

Some residents are speaking to police, seeking to persuade them to disobey orders and not participate in the eviction. Policewomen are beginning to arrive as well, as they will be handling the women of the community.

Police appear to be moving from home to home as quickly as possible. Buildings that are almost empty are being addressed and residents removed. However, gatherings are being ignored at this time. It appears police are trying to secure as many buildings as possible and complete the operation during daylight hours, with shekiya today being 5:18PM in Yerushalayim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)