Netanyahu orders removal of unauthorized settler outposts in West Bank

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the removal of unauthorized Jewish settler outposts in the West Bank, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Ynet website had previously reported that the orders concern around 100 outposts in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

Asked about the report at a conference in Jerusalem, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich confirmed that Netanyahu had ordered the “evacuation of structures in Areas A and B” — parts of the West Bank where most Palestinians live. The Oslo Accords of the 1990s between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization divided the territory into Areas A, B and C, Reuters recalls.

The Prime Minister’s Office and the Israeli military, which are usually involved in such evacuation operations, did not comment.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday described violent settlers as “terrorists” and called for serious consequences against them. He made the remarks after meeting with several Palestinian Americans in a West Bank town. Washington, Israel’s main ally, has been pressing for action against settlers who attack Palestinians.

Last month, several Jewish settlers besieged homes in a Palestinian village, including the home of a Palestinian American, but were eventually removed from the area by the Israeli military. Local residents said they continue to face harassment and intimidation from settlers.

Reuters reports that the outposts generally consist of prefabricated structures that can accommodate only a few settlers. The Israeli state has demolished such structures several times, but has officially recognized others, making them eligible for government funding.

Smotrich, who is also a settler, has overseen several Jewish housing projects in the West Bank and has officially authorized homes that were built illegally.

The minister said he disagreed with Netanyahu’s decision to evacuate the structures, but added that the government had already taken important steps to promote settlements in Area C.

There are currently 146 Jewish settlements officially recognized by Israel in the West Bank and around 240 outposts, according to the Israeli organization Peace Now, which criticizes settlement expansion and advocates a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Photo: Israel PM's Office