AFP :
Israel’s government has reached a deal for Jewish settlers to vacate an illegal West Bank outpost, in an early stress test for the fragile coalition led by nationalist premier Naftali Bennett.
Dozens of settler families several weeks ago started to build the Eviatar wildcat settlement in defiance of both international and Israeli law, sparking fierce protests from Palestinians in nearby villages.
The Palestinians, who claim the land as their own, harassed the settlers by burning car tyres, sounding horns and pointing laser beams at them, leading to deadly clashes with Israeli security forces.
The hilltop area where the settlers have established their settlement of trailer homes and tents lies near Nablus in the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
The dispute around the flashpoint site put an early strain on Bennett’s diverse eight-party coalition, that includes his right-wing nationalist Yamina party as well as left-wing groups and Arab-Israeli lawmakers.
The deal the government reached with the settlers late on Wednesday temporarily calms that dispute — even as Palestinians and Israeli peace activists strongly rejected it.
Under the terms seen by AFP, the settlers will leave by 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) Friday, but their temporary homes will remain and the Israeli army will establish a presence in the area.
The defence ministry will then assess the area to possibly declare it as state land, where Israel allows settlers to build. Should this happen, the military would then allow a community with a religious school to be built.
– ‘Protest will continue’ –
