7 illegal settlement outposts established in West Bank area under Palestinian civil control, watchdog says

In an unprecedented development, seven illegal Israeli settlement outposts in Area B of the West Bank where the Palestinian Authority is supposed to have civilian control have been established in recent months, the Peace Now organization reports.

In some of the outposts, Palestinians who had been living in the area fled in fear of the settlers and their homes were promptly taken over by the settlers, Peace Now alleged.

Of the seven outposts, five are located in a large tract of land known as the “Agreed-upon-reserve” east and southeast of Bethlehem, which is in Area B but where the Palestinian Authority is prohibited from construction.

Of the other two outposts, one is located east of the Ofra settlement in the central West Bank on what Peace Now says is land belonging to the Palestinian village of Ein Yabrud, and the other is located further north, close to the Shiloh settlement, south of the illegal outpost of Adei Ad, on land belonging to the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya.

According to Peace Now, the seven outposts were all established within the last two to six months. One of them, dubbed Or Nachman and located close to Turmus Ayya, was evacuated by the Civil Administration department of the Defense Ministry, but was then rebuilt.

At least one of the outposts is inhabited by only one person; another is inhabited by one family; and another is home to a group of young settler activists.

“After seizing control of Area C and systematically displacing Palestinians through house demolitions and settler violence, settlers have now set their sights on Area B,” Peace Now said upon publishing its new report.

“The Israeli government’s annexation plans are not limited to Area C. By enabling settlers to establish outposts deep in Area B, the government blatantly violates another critical element of the Oslo Accords. If we do not act today, we will find ourselves returning to full military rule across the entire West Bank.”

Under the Oslo Accords, 18% of the West Bank was defined as Area A, under Palestinian civil and security authority; approximately 22% was defined as Area B, under Palestinian civil authority, and the remaining approximately 60% of the West Bank territories were defined as Area C, under full Israeli security and civilian authority.