Beirut: Israeli authorities seized nearly 500 dunams (123 acres) of Palestinian land in the northern West Bank, as occupiers built eight illegal settlement outposts in the occupied territory since Friday, according to authorities and media on Monday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission stated that Israeli authorities confiscated 498 dunams of land in Tubas province and the village of Tayasir to construct a military road. "The seizure orders remain in effect until the end of 2028 and aim to establish a security and military road about 10 kilometers long to serve the Israeli army and occupiers," the statement detailed. The commission emphasized that the military orders establish a broad zone of military control over the area, potentially depriving Palestinians of access to their land.
The land seizure coincides with the construction of eight illegal settlement outposts by Israeli occupiers in the northern city of Nablus following an attack on the town of Tell on Friday, as reported by Israel's Army Radio. "Over the past 24 hours, two additional settlement outposts were established in Nablus near the site of Friday's attack in Tell," the radio reported.
On Friday, Israeli occupiers, supported by army forces, attacked the Palestinian town of Tell near Nablus, resulting in the deaths of four Palestinians. Two Israelis were also killed in a shooting during the confrontation, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. The radio further noted that one of the two outposts was established in Area B between the Palestinian village of Deir Istiya and the illegal Emmanuel settlement, while the other was set up in Area C west of the village of Deir Ballut. Under the 1995 Oslo II agreement, Area B is under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control, whereas Area C is under full Israeli civil and security control.
Settlement outposts typically begin as mobile homes placed by occupiers on Palestinian land, later transforming into illegal permanent settlements, often with government support. The United Nations considers the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, occupied Palestinian territory and holds Israeli settlement activity there to be illegal under international law. "The decision to evacuate the outposts will be made according to the assessment of the situation and the directives of the political leadership," the radio stated, quoting a military statement.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces and occupiers have killed at least 1,182 Palestinians in the West Bank, injured thousands, and detained approximately 24,000, according to official Palestinian figures.