Six settler families have been living in caravans inside a military camp in Hebron for more than a decade, and the Israel Defense Forces has no plans to put an end to this situation even though it is extraordinary and of questionable legality.

The settlers have been residing in a company-sized camp situated in Shuhada Street in Hebron, close to the compound of settlers in Beit Hadassah and Beit Romano.

The caravans are in the middle of the camp, and the settlers use both gates: the main gate, which leads out to Shuhada Street, which is also used by the soldiers, and the rear gate, which leads onto Beit Romano.

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The barracks of the soldiers are separated from the settler caravans by a fence of corrugated metal.

Currently, the camp is occupied by a company from the Nahal Brigade.

Military sources told Haaretz that the issue of the continued presence of settler family in the camp is a "political question," which means that it is a matter on which Defense Minister Amir Peretz has the decisive say.

An IDF spokesman said in response that the "area [in question] was occupied for military purposes in 1983. A petition against the occupation was filed with the Supreme Court, and it was rejected. In 1992 another petition was filed, which was withdrawn following an agreement with the petitioners [the Palestinians] that they could bring their case to the District Court in 30 days."

The same source said that the Palestinians did not bring their case to the District Court.

"During the early 1990s, Israeli settlers were authorized to live in the site. Because it was an area occupied for military purposes, the structures were built according to military specifications," the IDF spokesman said.

The IDF spokesman refused to comment on whether the army saw a problem with the fact that settlers and soldiers live in the same compound.

Dror Etkes, who heads the Peace Now monitoring of the spread of settlement activity, said the fact that the families reside in an army camp is a reflection of the "growing distortion in the relations between the IDF and settlers. The IDF stays in the territories because of the settlements, and they depend on the army for their existence. As usual, the tragic and continuous cost of this unhealthy coupling is borne by those who have no part in it."