Netanyahu Orders Illegal Outposts Cleared Amid US Pressure

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank to be dismantled, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, amid pressure from the United States to crack down on settler attacks on Palestinians.

The order applies to outposts built by settlers without official authorization from the Israeli state, the sources said. Israel's largest news site, Ynet, reported that roughly 100 outposts across the West Bank are targeted.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich confirmed the instruction publicly and said he opposes it. "To my knowledge, Netanyahu has given the instruction to evacuate" certain settlements, he said Sunday.

Netanyahu's office and the military — which would normally carry out any clearing operation — did not respond to requests for comment. It was not immediately clear when the operation would begin.

What an "outpost" is

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Israel additionally treats as illegal those built without government approval — typically a handful of prefabricated caravans housing a small number of settlers. The state has demolished some over the years and formally recognized others, which then gain access to government funding.