Israeli settlers march to West Bank outpost as Jerusalem tension spikes
Under heavy security, thousands of Israelis, including far-right leaders, are marching to wildcat West Bank Eviatar outpost.
Thousands of Israelis are marching Monday from the West Bank the Tapuach junction toward wildcat Eviatar outpost following clashes early Monday afternoon between Palestinian residents of the nearby Beita village and Israeli security forces.
Ahead of the march, Palestinians threw stones at the Israeli soldiers, who responded with tear gas grenades. The Red Crescent said two people were injured by rubber bullets.
The large rally is expected to convene at Evitar in the afternoon, with the participation of several government ministers and coalition Knesset members. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are leading the march on foot.
Most settlements in the occupied West Bank, up until the mid-1990s, were established with the approval of the Israeli government. Since then, most new settlements such as Eviatar have been built often on private Palestinian lands in what Israel calls ''illegal outposts.'' The Beita residents demonstrating on Monday said that Eviatar was constructed on their private lands.
