Under US pressure, Netanyahu reportedly orders evacuation of some West Bank settler outposts

Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly ordered the removal of some settler outposts in the occupied West Bank, a move that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he opposed. “To my knowledge, Netanyahu gave the order to evacuate certain settlements,” Smotrich said.

Smotrich has called for the annexation of the entire West Bank. Several Israeli and international media outlets reported the order, while Israel's Ynet said it likely followed pressure from the United States.

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To my knowledge, Netanyahu gave the order to evacuate certain settlements.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the West Bank on Saturday to show support for Palestinians with US citizenship who had been attacked by settlers. “Our unmistakable message is: Crime is crime, terror is terror,” Huckabee said without naming Israel. “When people do such things, they should expect to face serious consequences.”

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Our unmistakable message is: Crime is crime, terror is terror.

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law, while some outposts built without government approval are also considered illegal under Israeli law. The Israeli government has strongly promoted settlement construction and expansion in recent years. Many outposts began with a few housing containers or temporary structures, but authorities have increasingly granted them retroactive approval.

In August, Germany, France, Britain and Italy urged Israel to halt the E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem, which includes more than 1,200 homes. Critics say the project could further cut the territorial connection between the northern and southern West Bank and reduce the prospects for a viable Palestinian state. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. About three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israelis living in settlements are based there.

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When people do such things, they should expect to face serious consequences.