Only 70 meters from the fence: The giant Palestinian villa opposite Giv'on HaHadasha

A giant multi-story Palestinian villa has grown over the years at a distance of only about 70 meters from the security fence of Giv'on HaHadasha and about 90 meters from the houses of the community, even though the area where it was established is under a military construction ban order. Now, the Binyamin Council and the Regavim movement are demanding that the security establishment act to demolish the structure, raising a difficult question as to how construction of such a scale was allowed for so long in such a sensitive spot.

The legal department of the Regavim movement turned on Thursday to Minister of Defense Israel Katz, to the Commander of the Central Command Major General Avi Bluth, and to the enforcement authorities with a demand to act immediately against the structure. According to the movement, this is a massive, multi-story luxury Palestinian villa that was built in recent years within an area subject to a military order prohibiting construction.

The military order was intended to prevent the establishment of structures in points with security sensitivity, among other things near communities and traffic routes and in places with topographical control over their surroundings. In this case, the structure is located at a point very close to the houses of Giv'on HaHadasha and overlooks the community.

Although the villa is located in Area B, where civil authorities are held by the Palestinian Authority, security responsibility remains in the hands of Israel. In Regavim, they argue that due to the military order, the location of the structure, and the exceptional proximity to the community fence, this is not just an issue of illegal construction but a security threat that requires intervention.

Head of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council Israel Ganz said that the case should serve as a warning sign:

"This structure is a warning sign of what happens when illegal construction advances to within a few meters of community fences and residents' homes. When a massive structure is established at a point overlooking an Israeli community, within an area defined by military order as prohibited for construction, this is long past being just a building violation; it is a security threat that must not be accepted as reality."

According to him, the security reality after October 7 requires a stricter approach toward establishment near communities and traffic routes. "The State of Israel must anticipate the threat and not wait until it materializes. In security, one does not wait for a disaster to wake up."

Roi Drucker, director of the Judea and Samaria region in the Regavim movement, leveled sharp criticism at the conduct of the enforcement authorities, calling the situation "inconceivable." According to him, "This structure could at any moment constitute a direct, tangible, and daily threat to the lives of the residents of Giv'on HaHadasha and to the security forces operating in the sector."

In the letter, Regavim demands not only to demolish the structure and restore the situation to its previous state but also to open a criminal investigation against those responsible for its establishment.