Agreement could save illegal West Bank outpost

A pending agreement between the settlers’ council and the Israeli government will prevent the destruction of the Ramat Gilad outpost in the West Bank.

Under the agreement, the outpost in the northern West Bank would become part of the Karnei Shomron municipality and five of its 10 caravans would be moved from an area that is considered private Palestinian property to state land, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Army Radio.

The agreement has not been finalized, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry.

Danny Dayan, the head of the settlers’ Yesha Council, told Army Radio that the agreement had been “95 percent ready” last week before the “provocation” of forces heading to Ramat Gilad and the settler attacks that followed.

The parts of the outpost on private land are scheduled to be razed by the end of the year by order of the Supreme Court.

Ten families live on Ramat Gilad, which was established in 2001 in memory of Gilad Zar, who was killed by Palestinians in a drive-by shooting. Zar’s father, Moshe, claims to own the property on which the outpost is constructed.