Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly ordered the dismantling of outposts in the occupied West Bank, sources said, amid pressure from the US to crack down on settler attacks on Palestinians.
The order applies to outposts established by settlers without official authorisation from the Israeli state, sources told Reuters. 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.
Israeli media outlets had also reported Mr Netanyahu had made the order, with Ynet reporting that about 100 outposts would be affected. It was not immediately clear when the operation would begin.
UN agencies and most governments consider all Israeli settlements illegal under international law and consider the West Bank to be occupied territory under military control. Israel says the territory is disputed, not occupied.
Calling the violent settlers "terrorists", US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said they should face serious consequences. The comments came after he met Palestinian Americans in a West Bank town.
Mr Huckabee said it was important to “continue to put the pressure” to argue the “few people” who commit those acts are detrimental “not just to the people who live in the West Bank; it's detrimental to everyone, Israeli, Palestinian alike”.
The Israeli government has previously said a "fringe minority" was responsible for settler violence, although human rights groups have disputed that.
There are 340 outposts in the West Bank and 146 settlements recognised by the Israeli government, according to data from Peace Now, an Israeli organisation that advocates for a two-state solution.
More than 500,000 Israelis make up the West Bank population, alongside about three million Palestinians who represent 85 per cent of the area's population.
Dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes in the villages of Qusra and Jalud last month, drawing condemnation from Mr Netanyahu.
The Israeli Prime Minister's office and military did not immediately return The National's requests for comment.
