Key Takeaways
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the dismantling of unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank.
- The order comes amid US pressure to address settler attacks on Palestinians.
- The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that defence authorities must enable the safe return of three Palestinian families to their homes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the dismantling of unauthorized settler outposts in the occupied West Bank, according to sources familiar with the matter. The order applies to outposts established by settlers without official authorization from the Israeli state.
The move follows pressure from the United States, Israel’s closest ally, to crack down on settler violence against Palestinians. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced violent settlers as terrorists and called for severe consequences following a meeting with several Palestinian Americans in an occupied West Bank Palestinian town.
The Israeli prime minister’s office and the military, who would normally take part in clearing any outposts in the West Bank, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has overseen settlement housing projects and formally recognized homes built illegally, said Netanyahu has given an instruction to evict places built in Areas A and B, referring to parts of the West Bank in which most Palestinians live.
Under the Oslo Accords, the West Bank was split into three zones: A, B, and C. Area A is under Palestinian control, Area B is under joint Palestinian-Israeli control, and Area C is under full Israeli control.
There are 340 outposts in the occupied West Bank along with 146 settlements formally recognized by the Israeli government, according to Peace Now, an Israeli organization critical of settlement expansion and advocating for a two-state solution.
The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on Sunday that Israeli defence authorities must enable the safe return of three Palestinian families to their homes, after they were chased out of them by settlers in the occupied West Bank village of Jalud.
Hundreds of outposts across the West Bank have been built without official authorization, often consisting of prefabricated caravans and housing a small number of settlers. The state has from time to time demolished such structures and also formally recognized others, allowing them to access government funding.
Netanyahu’s decision is seen as a response to US pressure, with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee denouncing violent settlers as terrorists. The move is part of a broader effort by the US to address settler violence in the occupied territories.
