settlers rapidly increasing illegal outposts in the West Bank

Monday August 17, 2009 09:47 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Illegal extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank are said to be stepping-up the establishment of illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank before Israel and the United States reach an understanding on settlements.

The settlers installed 10 trailers on private Palestinian lands near the illegal colony of Kochav Yaakov.

Last week ,Volunteers For Human Rights Israeli group filed an appeal to the Israeli High Court of Justice asking it to stop the settlers and evacuate the illegal outpost; a court hearing on the issue is expected soon.

Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported in July that the settlers installed 10 trailers near Eli settlement. Most infrastructure work is nearly done, and soon enough settlers would be moving in.

Although the lands in question are Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, Israel considers them as “state-owned lands that are within the boundaries of Eli settlement”, which violates the International Law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions.  

Haaretz said that the settlers are racing to create facts on the ground before the United States administration manages to reach a deal with the U.S. on settlements in the occupied territories. 

Several Israeli leftist and Human Rights groups and Palestinian Human Rights centers attempted to stop the illegal settlement activities while the settlers, encouraged by policies of consecutive Israeli governments, continued the installation of new outposts and expanded existing ones. 

The settlers even challenged the Sasson Israeli report on settlements published in 2005, and challenged the so-called Civil Administration Office and the Israeli Army in their attempt to limit the movement of house trailers into the occupied territories.