Settlers 'to leave' some outposts

Many Jewish settlers see outpost building as a religious duty

Israel's defence minister is reported to have reached agreement with Jewish settlers to evacuate 26 outposts in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Inhabitants will be moved to existing settlement blocs, where Israel allows Jewish settlement in defiance of most interpretations of international law.

The first four outposts are expected to be moved in the coming days.

Palestinian officials often criticise Israel for ignoring its peace process commitments to remove such outposts.

Israeli army radio reported the agreement but there has been no confirmation of the plan from the minister himself, former PM Ehud Barak.

Forceful evictions

Under the international peace plan known as the roadmap, Israel undertook to freeze settlement activity in the occupied territories and remove so-called settlement outposts, which are thought to number more than 100.

Israel says the Palestinian government has failed to respect its own obligations under the plan.

Israeli army radio said the Migron outpost, the largest in the West Bank built on private Palestinian land near Ramallah, is among the 26 outposts to be dismantled.

Past attempts by the army and border police to forcefully evict residents from outposts have occasionally sparked angry clashes with many injuries.

Anti-settlement groups say settlers often return to re-establish new outposts after they have been evacuated by the authorities.