Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the demolition of Jewish settlements built without authorization in the West Bank, amid intense pressure from the United States urging Israel to suppress violence and attacks against Palestinians by extremist Jewish groups.
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed that Prime Minister Netanyahu has issued an order to dismantle certain Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under Israeli law.
Smotrich, a leader of a far-right political party and a supporter of fully annexing the West Bank, said that to his knowledge, Netanyahu has ordered the evacuation or demolition of some settlements, adding that he personally disagreed with this decision.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the order covers settlements established by Israelis without official government authorization. Typically, these settlements consist of a few prefabricated homes or caravans and have a small number of residents. The Israeli government has previously dismantled some such settlements, while in other cases it has granted official recognition, enabling access to government funding.
Several Israeli media outlets reported that the order may be linked to U.S. pressure. The news website Ynet reported that about 100 settlements across the West Bank are targeted. However, it remains unclear when the demolition operations will begin.
Smotrich said that Netanyahu's order concerns areas known as Zones A and B of the West Bank, which are primarily under Palestinian control according to the Oslo Accords of the 1990s. The West Bank is divided into Zones A, B, and C, with Zone C largely under Israeli control.
Although Smotrich opposed the demolition order, he stated that the Israeli government is making progress in expanding settlements in Zone C. He previously claimed to have driven a "major transformation" through the construction and official recognition of villages, farms, roads, and thousands of homes in that area.
Data from Peace Now, an Israeli organization opposing settlement expansion, indicates there are currently about 340 unauthorized settlements in the West Bank, in addition to 146 officially recognized settlements by the Israeli government.
Under international law, the United Nations and most governments worldwide consider all Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal and regard the West Bank as territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Israel disputes this, arguing the area is disputed territory, not occupied land.
This development comes amid escalating violence in the West Bank following the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. Currently, over 500,000 Israelis live in settlements throughout the West Bank alongside approximately 3 million Palestinians.
On Saturday, 5 September 2024 GMT+7, Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, visited the West Bank to show support for Palestinian Americans who have been victims of attacks by Israeli settlers.
Huckabee stated clearly, "A crime is a crime, and terrorism is terrorism," calling on perpetrators to expect severe consequences or punishments, without naming Israel directly.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the Israeli defense authorities must ensure the safe return of three Palestinian families to their homes after being forcibly expelled by settlers from the village of Jalud, west of the West Bank.
The Israeli government periodically condemns settler violence, but human rights groups and Palestinians accuse many perpetrators of evading arrest, with even fewer facing prosecution. The U.S. has emphasized that addressing violent settler actions is in Israel’s own interest, amid increasing pressure from key allies on the Netanyahu government.
/sourceReuters/ AFP