BICOM

Civil Administration inspectors and security forces removed structures near Beit El, a settlement in the Benjamin region of the central West Bank, on Sunday night. They were met with fierce resistance by teens that threw stones at police officers and squad cars. Sporadic clashes continued yesterday while the ruins of the three illegal structures razed at the Oz Zion outpost were being cleared. Twelve were arrested, including seven teenagers for hurling stones, assaulting police officers and violating a closed military zone order.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday told Likud faction members “effort should focus on bolstering the communities, not clashing with the law. It is forbidden to build on anyone’s private land.” Netanyahu added that the construction of 2,000 housing units was the best way to strengthen the settlements, and that the main settlement blocs the housing units will be built in would remain “under Israel’s sovereignty in any agreement.”

Netanyahu faces stiff opposition from within his party and coalition on the dismantling of settlement outposts. For the majority in the current government the razing of outposts is a political red line, which could potentially spark a coalition crisis. Netanyahu’s comments raised concern among some coalition members. Heads of several coalition factions wrote to Netanyahu yesterday, demanding that a clear timeframe is set to legalise West Bank outposts. The government is slated to commence a series of demolitions and evictions in a number of West Bank settlements and outposts. This will see some 85 permanent structures evacuated and 1,000 people cleared from their homes.