JERUSALEM: Jewish settlers agreed Monday to leave a new outpost in the occupied West Bank that has stirred weeks of Palestinian protests following a deal with Israel’s government, officials said.
Under the agreement, confirmed by settler leaders and the interior ministry, the settlers will leave the Eviatar outpost within days but their mobile homes will remain and Israeli troops will establish a base in the area.
According to a statement from regional settler leader Yossi Dagan, the defense ministry has agreed to study land claims to assess the prospect of a future recognized settlement.
Dagan said the agreement had been approved by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked.
Shaked’s office confirmed the deal, but spokespersons for Bennett and Gantz were not immediately available to comment.
About 50 Jewish families moved to Eviatar last month, erecting huts, tents and caravans — in defiance of international and Israeli law — on land near Nablus in the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians claim for a future state.
Palestinians in the nearby community of Beita responded with nightime protests, flashing horns, burning tires and shining laser beams to keep the settlers awake.
Moussa Hamayel, the deputy head of the Beita municipality, told AFP that the Palestinian community had “completely rejected” the purported compromise.
In unrest sparked by the protests, four Palestinians including a teenager have been killed by Israeli troops.
Eviatar is named after a settler fatally stabbed near Beita in 2013.
An earlier version of the outpost was evacuated by Israeli authorities.
Israeli families returned to the outpost in May after a yeshiva student was shot dead by a Palestinian gunman nearby.
Gantz ordered the settlement removed, but Benjamin Netanyahu — who served 12 unbroken years as prime minister, before he was unseated on June 13 — froze the decision.
Bennett, who ousted Netanyahu by joining a broad coalition including left-wingers and an Arab party, is the former head of the Yesha Council, a settlers’ lobbying group.
All Jewish settlements in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, are considered illegal by most of the international community.
Israeli settlers agree to leave flashpoint West Bank outpost
https://arab.news/9w3kq
Israeli settlers agree to leave flashpoint West Bank outpost
- About 50 Jewish families moved to Eviatar last month, erecting huts, tents and caravans — in defiance of international and Israeli law
- Palestinians in the nearby community of Beita responded with nightime protests, flashing horns, burning tires and laser beams
GCC states ‘face reliance on Saudi Arabia for food imports’
- With 70 percent of food coming through Strait of Hormuz, analysts warn of inevitable shortages
DUBAI: Some Gulf states may have to rely on overland food deliveries from Saudi Arabia if the US-Israel-Iran war continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and restrict regional airspace, analysts warned on Thursday.
The region is up to 90 percent dependent on food imports, and price surges and scarcity of some goods are expected.
“With over 70 percent of GCC foodstuffs being imported through the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf states face shortages if the war persists,” said Neil Quilliam of the Chatham House think tank.
“While GCC countries have taken steps to diversify suppliers and ensure sufficient stores to withstand disruption, this can only last several months. At this point, price increases and longer lead times will start to hit the markets.”
Commodities analyst Ishan Bhanu said: “The biggest immediate effect will be due to the blockade of Jebel Ali in Dubai, serving about 50 million people. Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq effectively become landlocked and will depend on overland routes through Saudi Arabia.”
Bottlenecks are yet to show and the UAE has said its strategic reserves of vital goods cover four to six months of needs. It urged residents to report unjustified price increases through a dedicated hotline.
Supermarket staff throughout the Gulf said shelves remain largely stocked, though suppliers are taking longer to replenish certain products. Iran’s strikes on the Gulf since Saturday prompted panic buying in supermarkets, a dry run for what could come.
“Perception of risk matters, and even if stocks are sufficient now, public runs on supermarkets can spook the public,” Quilliam said.
