Israeli Settlers Set Up New Outposts After Deadly Clash
Israeli settlers established four new outposts in the occupied West Bank overnight, a day after a gun battle near the village of Tell killed two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians. The Israeli military said it had arrested more than seventy wanted Palestinians in raids across the territory, while groups of settlers entered Tell for what they called a “hike”. It was among the most turbulent days in the West Bank in weeks.
The new outposts — near Tell, Awarta, Qusra and Jabal Ubayd — extend a rapid expansion of unauthorised settlement that has accelerated since the wider regional war began. Palestinian officials condemned the settler incursions as intimidation, while Israel said its raids targeted those behind Friday’s shooting. Violence in the West Bank has climbed sharply alongside the fighting with Iran and the strains on the Gaza ceasefire. The pattern of deadly clashes followed by settler expansion has drawn international concern. Watch for further raids and whether the outposts are removed or entrenched.