Israel's High Court has temporarily suspended a deal to move settlers from an illegal occupied West Bank outpost to nearby land after Palestinian landowners filed an objection.
The court has forbidden the Israeli government from building on the three plots of privately-owned land while it considers its decision, the Israeli rights group Yesh Din, which represents the landowners, said in a statement Monday evening.
After the High Court had ruled the Amona outpost was illegal and should be evicted, the government struck a deal with the settlers for a peaceful evacuation in exchange for them being allowed to build on nearby land which they claimed was abandoned – which has been challenged by local Palestinians.
“Ever since the notion of using abandoned property was suggested, we have claimed that one injustice cannot be corrected with another, and that additional land cannot be taken over just to appease Amona residents. We are determined to support the landowners in their struggle for their right to property by using all available legal means," said Yesh Din Executive Director Neta Patrick.
Israel Radio reported Tuesday that the residents are demanding the resubmission of a bill to legalize settler outposts, which was abandoned after the deal was reached in December.
On Sunday, they said they were no longer bound by the deal, believing the government could not fulfill its promises, and would resist eviction.
While all Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank is illegal under international law, outposts are also considered illegal under Israeli law because they are built without the state's official approval.
