Illegal Israeli settlers establish new settlement outpost near occupied East Jerusalem

By Awad Rjoob and Rania Abu Shamala

RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL (AA) – Illegal Israeli settlers on Sunday began establishing a new settlement outpost on Palestinian land in the town of Anata, east of occupied East Jerusalem, according to a local human rights group.

In a statement, the Bedouin rights group Al-Baidar said illegal settlers started setting up the outpost near the Bedouin communities of Abu Ghaliya and Al-Ara’ara, east of Anata, by installing temporary structures and laying foundations for makeshift homes.

The organization warned that the move could lead to the displacement of Bedouin communities northeast of Jerusalem and restrict Palestinian access to their lands and pastures, which they rely on for grazing and agriculture.

It described the move as part of a “systematic policy aimed at imposing control over the Palestinian land to expand the colonial presence in the area.”

According to data from the Palestinian Authority’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, illegal settlers have established 114 outposts since the Gaza war in October 2023.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.