Israeli Gov’t Signs Deal With Settlers to Review Illegal Outpost’s Status

Israel’s government on Thursday signed an agreement with the handful of residents of Evyatar, an illegal Jewish settlement erected last month on the outskirts of the Palestinian village Beita in the West Bank. According to the finalized arrangement, the outpost will be voluntarily and fully evacuated by Friday afternoon and will remain empty while the Israeli authorities carry out further examination of the land’s legal status. The government and the Israeli military have already decreed in recent weeks that the territory is out of bounds for settlement, and issued a warrant for Evyatar’s eviction and removal. In the meantime, the settlers’ houses will remain intact, while an army company is stationed on the hill to keep watch as the legal process runs its course. The handful of houses, paved roads and electric lines were quickly built in May between several Palestinian villages, and have since drawn violent weekly demonstrations, in which four Palestinian protesters were killed by Israeli fire.