Israeli settlers set up new illegal outpost near Ramallah, the 7th in 10 days amid increased settlement expansions

Illegal settlers have established a new outpost in the occupied West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, earlier this week, according to local media reports.

The settlers reportedly set up a large tent in the Al-Dalia area, located east of the village on the second day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, according to village council head Amin Abu Aliya as cited by the official Palestinian Wafa agency.

Abu Aliya added that the settlers set up the tent on the road, which extends to about 20,000 dunums of land from the villages of Al-Mughayyir and Kafr Malik, and extends to the Jordan Valley.

The settlers - who are mostly armed -  also placed more than 100 cows in the outpost.

The outpost is reportedly the seventh to be set up in 10 days, according to Palestinian media, amid an increase in settlement expansions in the occupied West Bank.

The village council chief told the Quds Network website that Palestinian farmers first saw the settlers move into the area, and expressed surprise that a tent of such a size was erected on their land.

🔵🖼 #صورة | مستوطنون يقيمون بؤرة استيطانية رعوية قرب قرية المغير شرقي #رام_الله. pic.twitter.com/Bws7CwYNLs

— قناة الأقصى الفضائية (@SerajSat) July 1, 2023

According to Abu Alia, the area where the settlers are establishing the new settlement outpost is "almost the only outlet to the Jordan Valley" from the village.

Al-Mughayyir, located northeast of Ramallah, is known for being the village’s main source of food and crops due to its notable agricultural and grazing land. The territory has also witnessed an increase in attacks recently.

Abu Alia further stated that the latest outpost isn’t the only one in the village. Previously, a settlement in the al-Qaboun area was set up, prompting protests from residents. Subsequently, the outpost turned into a starting point for settler attacks on farmers in Al-Mughayyir.

The outpost in Al-Mughayyir is the seventh to be built in just 10 days. Other outposts have been established in or near the villages of Umm Safa and Mikhmas, with others have been built close to the towns of Salfit, Jericho and Tuqu'. Another outpost was established near the Ma'ale Levona settlement in central West Bank.  

Outposts are deemed illegal under both international and Israeli law, though over 100 have been built in the West Bank since Israel began its occupation in 1967 following the Arab-Israeli war. Outposts are typically provided with security from Israeli forces.

According to the UN, approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers live in both settlements and outposts in the West Bank. Settlements are also considered a violation of international law, with Palestinians saying that they stifle hopes for an independent state.