Residents of the Netzach Shmuel outpost allege that Israel Border Police officers set fire to structures at the hilltop site during Shabbat while enforcing a closed military zone order. The order, issued by the Central Command commander, prohibited people from remaining at the location.

According to the residents, officers arrived on Saturday afternoon and immediately used stun grenades and tear gas without presenting the order or engaging in discussion. They claim they complied with the directive and evacuated, but shortly afterward saw black smoke rising from the hill and concluded that the structures had been burned.

In a statement, residents described what they called a significant increase in enforcement actions against settlement outposts in recent months, including demolitions, confiscation of livestock, and frequent crowd control measures. They argued that the latest incident marked a severe escalation and warned that continued tensions could lead to loss of life, insisting that they view themselves as pioneers rather than enemies of the state.