Netanyahu orders action against illegal settler outposts

Several Israeli and international media outlets reported Netanyahu's order. According to the Israeli news website Ynet, the instruction probably came under pressure from the USA.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the West Bank on Saturday to show his support for Palestinians with US citizenship who have been victims of attacks by settlers. "Our unmistakable message is: crime is crime, terror is terror," said Huckabee, without mentioning Israel by name. "When people do something like that, they should expect to face serious consequences."

While all Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law, some built without government consent are also considered illegal by Israel. In recent years, the Israeli government has pushed forward the construction and expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Many outposts, which initially only consisted of a few residential containers or makeshift buildings, also violate Israeli law, but have recently been increasingly approved retrospectively.

European countries recently called for an end to the settlement project

In August, Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy called on the Israeli government to end a settlement project with more than 1,200 apartments. The so-called E1 project east of Jerusalem was approved last year. Critics warn that it threatens to further sever the territorial connection between the north and south of the West Bank and would thereby further diminish the prospects of a viable Palestinian state.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the end of the Six-Day War in 1967. Around three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements there.