Update after the establishment of the outposts (7/5/23):
The Civil Administration evacuated three outposts located near the settlements of Neve Tzuf, Mevo’ot Jericho, and Neve Erez. These outposts consisted only of tents and vehicles. The Civil Administration prepared forces for the evacuation of the HaMor Outpost, but the residents of the outpost appealed to the district court, and the evacuation order was postponed. Subsequently, Minister Smotrich demanded that the State Attorney’s office withhold its response to the court and intervene in the case. In doing so, Minister Smotrich effectively prevented the evacuation of the outpost, at least for now.
In summary, after the establishment and evacuation of these three outposts, there are still four remaining: Evyatar, HaMor, the outpost near Emmanuel, and the outpost next to Tko’a.
On the night between Wednesday and Thursday, June 21, 2023, six new outposts were established throughout the West Bank. In addition, settlers entered the outpost of Evyatar, an uninhabited outpost held by the military that was evacuated by the previous government. According to media reports, the outposts were established with the knowledge of the Israeli authorities, and subsequently, Netanyahu decided that Evyatar would not be evicted and its status would be legalized. The six new outposts were established near the settlements of Tko’a, Neve Tzuf, Mevo’ot Jericho, Neve Erez, Ma’ale Levona, and Emanuel.
Most of the outposts mainly consist of tents and temporary structures, while in the outpost of Evyatar, and a newly established outpost, that goes by the name of HaMor, residential structures were erected, pathways were prepared, and infrastructure work was done (for further information on these two outposts, click here). The Evyatar outpost is located 1.6 km east of Zaatra Junction (Tapuah Junction) south of Nablus, in an area called Jabal Sabih, in the lands of the villages of Yatma and Beita. The HaMor outpost is located on the land of the Palestinian villages Sinjil and Luban a-Sharkia, and near the Ma’ale Levona settlement.
To the east of the Tko’a settlement, on the lands of the Palestinian village of Tuqu’, an agricultural outpost was established, consisting of a tent and a truck that was adapted for residential use (see the picture below).
The Outpost next to Tko’a
Two more outposts were established as farms. One, located west of the Mevo’ot Jericho settlement, on the lands of the Palestinian town of Taybeh, and the second, to the east of the Neve Erez settlement, on the lands of the Palestinian village of Mukhmas. Both outposts are near the Bedouin communities (photos of both outposts below).
The outpost from the west to the settlement of Mevo’ot Jericho
The Outpost East from Neve Erez
Another outpost was established west of the Neve Tzuf (Halamish) settlement and near the Atarot settlement, on lands of the Palestinian village of Umm Safa. The outpost consisted of a single tent. The establishment of the outpost led to clashes between Palestinians and settlers as well as to settler violence inside the Palestinian village over the weekend. The settlement Watch Team observed that on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, the tent was not in place, and it is possible that the outpost has been abandoned or removed.
An additional outpost was established as an agricultural outpost, southeast of the Immanuel settlement, on the lands of the Palestinian village of Deir Istiya.
Peace Now: “Violating the law, destroying the possibility of a future Palestinian State, creating further points of friction between settlers and Palestinians and rewarding settler violence has become the official policy of the State of Israel in the West Bank. The establishment of seven new outposts disregards not only international law but also the Israeli legal system itself. Beyond the devastating consequences that these outposts will have, first and foremost on Palestinians, the government of Israel is also destroying the possibility of a life of dignity and peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”