Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the dismantling of unauthorized Israeli settler outposts in the West Bank, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday.
The sources said Netanyahu issued the order in response to U.S. pressure to crack down on settler violence against Palestinians. It was not immediately clear when the dismantling would begin.
The report comes a day after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met Palestinian Americans in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, which has been repeatedly targeted by settlers, and described attacks on Palestinians as “acts of terror.”
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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee greeted as he arrived to visit the home of an American-Palestinian resident who has said he has faced ongoing harassment from Israeli settlers, in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, on Saturday. Credit: AFP/JOHN WESSELS
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee greeted as he arrived to visit the home of an American-Palestinian resident who has said he has faced ongoing harassment from Israeli settlers, in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, on Saturday. Credit: AFP/JOHN WESSELSRelated Articles
Huckabee, a longtime supporter of Israeli settlements, has repeatedly condemned settler violence in recent weeks. In August, he called settlers who besieged Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra “Israeli terrorists” and later warned that settlers who seize property belonging to Palestinian Americans could face U.S. sanctions or entry bans.
Huckabee called on Israel to investigate and prosecute those responsible, saying there should not be “a different standard of justice” depending on who committed the crime.
Unauthorized outposts typically consist of prefabricated structures housing a small number of settlers. Israel has periodically dismantled such outposts while retroactively authorizing others and allowing them access to government funding.
Settler violence has risen sharply in the West Bank in recent years. Palestinians and human rights groups have repeatedly accused Israeli authorities of failing to adequately investigate or prosecute attacks.
The United Nations and most countries consider all Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and regard the territory as occupied. Israel disputes that characterization, saying the territory is disputed rather than occupied.
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