TUBAS (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities ordered settlers to stop construction on a new illegal outpost in the Jordan valley district of Tubas in the northern occupied West Bank, according Israeli authorities.Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the body responsible for implementing Israeli government policies in the occupied West Bank, told Ma’an on Sunday that the “illegal construction” began at the end of September, and that COGAT issued “stop-work orders” to the settlers in the area.Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday that their reporters visited the site of the outpost — which was established on privately owned Palestinian land, in close proximity to the illegal outpost of Givat Salit — and that construction was still ongoing, despite the stop-work orders that were issued, and COGAT’s claim that construction was halted.In its statement to Ma’an, COGAT reiterated its assertion that construction had stopped, saying that “further inspection of the illegal construction found that the construction halted only after the orders were issued.”“Enforcement measures will continue and will be carried out in accordance with professional and operational considerations,” the statement said, adding that “immediately after” the current Jewish holidays, “there will be another inspection by the Inspection Unit and enforcement proceedings will be taken accordingly.”According to Haaretz, settlers from the outpost — one of whom reportedly had a gun — began threatening Palestinian shepherds in the area, preventing them from bringing their flocks to graze on a nearby hilltop, which is designated by Israel as “state-owned land.”Additionally, Israeli Civil Administration staff reportedly demolished the tent encampment belonging to the Ayoub family, a Palestinian family of shepherds who had lived on the land for years, shortly after the outpost was established.Haaretz also reported that an Israeli jeep belonging to a resident of the nearby illegal settlement of Shadmot Mehola was seen on Thursday speeding into a flock of livestock owned by the Ayoub family, leading the family to fear that settlers from the outpost would physically harm their livestock.Since the outpost was established almost one month ago, according to Haaretz, the settlers at the site have laid down a main water pipe, pounded iron fencing into the ground “for what appeared to be a future livestock pen,” constructed various iron posts, and installed a water tank.The more than 232 Israeli settler outposts in the West Bank are considered illegal by the Israeli government. However, Israeli authorities often legalize the outposts retroactively by declaring them official settlements after they have been connected to Israel’s water and electricity infrastructure.
If Israel is serious then it is time to use the IDF to enforce the orders as it is used to steal land…..
It is such a shame that this column continues to perpetuate the misinformation about what you call “The West Bank” and Israel calls Judea and Samaria.
This area has always been “occupied”. Before Israel, it was occupied by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which annexed the territory in 1948. Between 1917 and 1948 it was occupied by the British. From the 17th. Century until 1917 it was occupied by the Ottoman Turks. I don’t think that I need to go back further in history than that to make my point.
This is a much fought over piece of land and legally today it is known as “Disputed Territory” as there are conflicting claims to the land.
Perhaps one day some light will be shone into this murky area, but at the moment there are too many vested political interests to be honest about the land’s history and therefore the conflict is very likely to continue for some time yet.