Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered unauthorised settler outposts in the West Bank to be dismantled, two people familiar with the matter said on Sunday, amid pressure from the United States (US) to crack down on settler attacks on Palestinians.
The order applies to outposts established by settlers without official authorisation from the Israeli state, the sources said. Outposts typically consist of prefabricated caravans and house a small number of settlers.
The state has from time to time demolished such structures and also formally recognised others, allowing them to access government funding.
It was not immediately clear when the operation would begin.
Separately, Israel’s 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 West Bank village of Jalud.
United Nations bodies and most governments deem all Israeli settlements illegal under international law and consider the West Bank to be occupied territory under military control.
Israel argues the territory is disputed, not occupied.
–Reuters–
