Jerusalem – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the evacuation of some settlements in the occupied West Bank deemed illegal under Israeli law, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Sunday. While all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, some established without government approval — often consisting of just a few prefabricated homes — are also considered illegal by Israel. Several Israeli media outlets also reported on Sunday that Netanyahu had issued the order, with Israel’s largest news site Ynet saying it was the result of U.S. pressure.
At the end of August, Netanyahu had promised to continue establishing settlements in the West Bank despite growing international backlash. The construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory has increased significantly under his government. According to Smotrich, the evacuation concerned outposts built in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority and without official authorization.
The leader of a far-right party that advocates the annexation of the entire West Bank, Smotrich boasted on Sunday that he had led “a revolution” by building and legalizing “villages, farms, roads and thousands of homes” in the territory, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967. Netanyahu’s office did not respond, when contacted, to the reports. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, among some 3 million Palestinians. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the West Bank on Saturday in support of Palestinians with U.S. citizenship who have been victims of attacks by settlers.
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