Israeli settlers march to West Bank outpost, as Jerusalem tension spikes

Israeli settlers march to West Bank outpost, as Jerusalem tension spikes

Thousands of Israelis are marching Monday from the West Bank the Tapuach junction towards 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, have been 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. 

In preparation for the march, police said it will block throughout the day highway 505, which connects the West Bank Nablus area to the Jordan Valley. 13 border police companies are assisting regional police forces in keeping the order, with 14 more border police companies on standby in