UPDATE - Israeli army dismantles settlement outpost in occupied West Bank

UPDATES WITH DISMANTLING OF SETTLMENT OUTPOST, CHANGES TITLE, DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGH

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army on Friday dismantled a settlement outpost that was erected by Israeli settlers at dawn on lands belonging to the Jureesh village, northern West Bank.

Raed Abu Jamous, the head of the municipal council of Jureesh village, told Anadolu that clashes erupted between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the area after which Israeli forces intervened and used rubber-coated bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the Palestinians.

The Israeli forces later dismantled the outpost.

Earlier on Friday, Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official who monitors settlement activities in the northern West Bank, told Anadolu that "a group of settlers established a settlement outpost on the lands of Jureesh town, south of Nablus."

He said that the settlers installed a number of residential caravans in the area.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry and the Hamas group condemned the establishment of the outpost.

"This crime (establishing the outpost) is Israel's response to the current American team's visit to the region, and a blatant challenge to international and American demands to stop all illegal unilateral measures," the ministry said.

It stressed that "the failure of the American side to respond immediately to this provocative step reflects a lack of seriousness in putting words and positions into actions."

On Wednesday, a US delegation headed by National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan visited the region and met with Palestinian and Israeli officials.

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate there are about 650,000 settlers living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the West Bank, including in occupied East Jerusalem.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in occupied territories are considered illegal.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar and Mahmoud Barakat