BBC reported last October that a Palestinian grandmother, Ayesha Shtayyeh, was threatened with a gun at her home by a man, forcing her to leave the place she had lived in for 50 years. This incident was part of a larger campaign of harassment and intimidation that began in 2021, following the establishment of an illegal settler outpost near her home in the occupied West Bank.
According to new analysis by the BBC, the number of these outposts has been rapidly increasing in recent years, with at least 196 currently across the West Bank and 29 set up just last year – the highest number in any previous year. These outposts, which can take the form of farms, houses, or caravans, lack defined boundaries and are illegal under both Israeli and international law.
The BBC has uncovered documents showing that organizations closely linked to the Israeli government have provided funding and land for the establishment of these illegal outposts. The proliferation of these outposts has been linked to violence and harassment against Palestinian communities.
Despite the lack of official figures on the number of outposts, the BBC conducted an investigation using satellite images, social media posts, and government publications to verify the existence of these outposts and confirm their use. The analysis revealed that almost half of the verified outposts have been built since 2019.
These outposts have been associated with growing violence against Palestinian communities, with some extremist settlers facing sanctions for their involvement in inciting or perpetrating violence. While most settlers are described as law-abiding citizens, the existence of outposts has been acknowledged to increase tensions and the likelihood of violence in the area.
The report highlighted specific cases, such as the one involving Moshe Sharvit, who threatened Ayesha Shtayyeh with a gun. The US and UK governments have sanctioned him and his outpost for violence against Palestinians. Ayesha, who was forced to leave her home, now lives with her son in a nearby town.
Outposts, unlike larger settlements, lack official Israeli planning approval and are considered illegal under international law. The UN has called for a halt to all new settlement activity and the evacuation of settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a recommendation rejected by Israel.
Despite the illegal status of these outposts, there is little evidence of efforts by the Israeli government to prevent their growth. The BBC investigation revealed how organizations with ties to the Israeli state have provided funding and land for the establishment of these outposts, including the World Zionist Organization’s Settlement Division.
Contracts obtained by Peace Now show that the Settlement Division has allocated land for grazing or farming, but satellite imagery has revealed that illegal outposts have been built on some of these tracts of land. The WZO did not respond to inquiries about the use of the allocated land for illegal outposts. The BBC reached out to Zvi Bar Yosef for comment, but did not receive a reply. Additionally, the BBC has discovered documents showing that Amana, a key settler organization, provided substantial loans to establish outposts, including one loan of NIS 1,000,000 to build greenhouses on an illegal outpost. Amana, founded in 1978, has historically worked with the Israeli government to build settlements in the West Bank, but there is evidence suggesting they also support outposts. A leaked recording from a 2021 executive meeting revealed Amana’s CEO discussing the expansion of outposts. The Canadian government recently sanctioned Amana for actions against Palestinian civilians. Outposts are sometimes retroactively legalized by the Israeli government, effectively turning them into settlements. Settlers like Moshe Sharvit, who live on outposts, aim to control large areas of land, often at the expense of Palestinian communities. Palestinian families have reported harassment and intimidation by outpost settlers, leading to escalating tensions and violence in the West Bank. Ayesha Shtayyeh, who was evicted from her home by Sharvit, experienced vandalism and intimidation upon returning to collect her belongings. Despite multiple attempts to contact him, Moshe Sharvit did not respond to allegations made against him. BBC
En julio de 2023, la BBC se le acercó en persona en su puesto avanzado para buscar su respuesta a las acusaciones y también para preguntarle si permitiría que los palestinos – como Ayesha – regresaran a la zona. Él dijo que no sabía de qué estábamos hablando y negó que fuera Moshe Sharvit.
Gráficos por Kate Gaynor y el equipo de Periodismo Visual del Servicio Mundial
El número de puestos de colonos israelíes en Cisjordania ocupada ha aumentado rápidamente en los últimos años, muestra un nuevo análisis de la BBC.
Actualmente hay al menos 196 en toda Cisjordania, y se establecieron 29 el año pasado, más que en cualquier año anterior.
Los puestos avanzados – que pueden ser granjas, grupos de casas o incluso grupos de caravanas – a menudo carecen de límites definidos y son ilegales tanto bajo la ley israelí como internacional.
Pero el Servicio Mundial de la BBC ha visto documentos que muestran que organizaciones con estrechos vínculos con el gobierno israelí han proporcionado dinero y terrenos utilizados para establecer nuevos puestos avanzados ilegales.