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Israel's Netanyahu orders West Bank settler outposts to be removed, sources say

From The Express Tribune · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Unnamed sources New plan
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered unauthorized Israeli settler outposts in the occupied West Bank to be dismantled, according to two people familiar with the matter.
  • The reported order follows US pressure to address settler violence, including Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s call for violent settlers to face severe consequences.
  • The scope and timing of the operation remain unclear, while Israeli officials remain divided over settlement expansion and outpost removals.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the removal of unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank, two people familiar with the matter said, as pressure from Israel’s closest ally mounts over attacks on Palestinians.

The order applies to outposts built by settlers without formal authorization from the Israeli state. Such sites usually consist of prefabricated caravans housing a small number of settlers. Israeli authorities have sometimes demolished them, while at other times formally recognized them and opened the way for government funding. It was not immediately clear when the removals would begin.

The reported decision followed pressure from the United States to act against settler violence. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced violent settlers as terrorists on Saturday and called for severe consequences after meeting Palestinian Americans in a West Bank town. Huckabee said it was in Israel’s own interest to confront settlers involved in “criminal behaviour and terrorism”.

criminal behaviour and terrorism

· Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to IsraelHuckabee used the phrase to describe violence by Israeli settlers and urged Israel to take action.

Israeli website Ynet reported that the order covered about 100 outposts. Netanyahu’s office and the military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Netanyahu had issued “an instruction to evict places built in Areas A and B”, referring to parts of the West Bank where most Palestinians live. Smotrich, a settler who has overseen settlement housing projects and the recognition of homes built illegally, said he disagreed with the decision but argued that the government had made major progress advancing settlements in Area C.

Peace Now, an Israeli group that opposes settlement expansion and supports a two-state solution, says the West Bank has 340 outposts and 146 settlements formally recognized by Israel. The Israeli government has condemned settler violence, but perpetrators are rarely arrested and even less often prosecuted. Recent harassment and intimidation reported by Palestinian residents has added to pressure on Israel to take action.

an instruction to evict places built in Areas A and B

· Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli finance ministerSmotrich described Netanyahu’s reported order concerning unauthorized sites in parts of the West Bank.
About this summary

Originally published by The Express Tribune. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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