Occupation Army Vows Openly To Support Settlement Outposts and Terrorist Pastoral Farms

Settlement Weekly Report By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
6 - 12 Sept. 2025

The ‘National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that the new Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army Eyal Zamir accompanied by the current commander of the Central Command, Avi Blot visited on August 23, 2025, a pastoral outpost in the northern West Bank, between the settlements of Einav and Avnei Hefetz in the Tulkarm Governorate. Their visit was seen as support for the farm project. This visit sheds light on the occupation army s connection to the project to spread settlement outposts and so-called pastoral farms across the West Bank, in Area C, according to the agreements signed between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
A visit brought back to the forefront the image of former Central Command Commander Roni Numa, who, during his military service, oversaw the establishment of illegal pastoral outposts in the Jordan Valley, in association with settlers and without the knowledge of then-Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, according to a report published in Haaretz last Saturday. According to the Newspaper, one of the outposts, known as ‘Uri Farm’ was established about 9 years ago and was relocated at least once as an illegal outpost.
According to the report, the initiative also included ‘Tzuriel Farm’, in addition to plans to establish similar outposts in the southern Hebron Hills. The alleged stated goal was to distance the ‘Hilltop Youth’ from violent activities by integrating them into an ideologically oriented activity. Haaretz also noted that the project was launched in 2016, following the burning of the Dawabsheh family in Duma in a terrorist attack by settlers on the village in late July 2015, and that the Jordan Valley was chosen because it has ‘the lowest Palestinian population density’.
According to Haaretz, when the project was launched, there were only 2 pastoral outposts in the Jordan Valley, ‘but today there are more than 30, in addition to scores more in various parts of the West Bank.’ The report noted that these outposts are illegal under Israeli law, ‘but in recent years they have enjoyed public support from the government and military leaders’. It quoted a source who worked at the time in the Civil Administration as saying, ‘There were attempts to issue evacuation orders, but the army opposed them and prevented their implementation.’
An audio recording to the head of the Jordan Valley settlement council, David Elhayani, was leaked in 2017, in which he said that ‘Numa gave his approval for the establishment of the outposts,’ prompting lawyers to demand an investigation. Security services responded at the time by saying that ‘monitoring measures had been initiated against illegal construction,’ but 8 years later, ‘the outposts are still standing and expanding their influence at the expense of the Palestinians’. A resident of Khirbet Samra in the northern Jordan Valley as saying that ‘Uri s farm took all our land, and we are left with nothing,’ adding that the lands that were used for grazing and agriculture ‘were seized by settlers with the support of the army.’
The report indicated that 3 settlers who served under Numa s command played the role of ‘mediators’ in the project he initiated: Omer Atidia, Itamar Cohen, and Yitzhak Scali. Scali own the oldest pastoral outpost in the West Bank, established in 1998 east of Nablus, while Atidia established an outpost in the Al-Auja area north of Jericho in 2004. Atidia is a reserve officer in the Operational Transportation Unit and has hosted soldiers from the unit on his settlement farm.
Noting that the number of these pastoral outposts in the West Bank stood at only 21 by the end of 2015, expanding to include more than 70 and possibly as many as 190, half of which were established since 2024, according to identical estimates. There is no longer any need to conceal the army s relationship with the pastoral outposts, after it was revealed that Eyal Zamir visited one of these outposts accompanied by the current head of the Central Command, Avi Blot.
The Israeli occupation army s cooperation with the settlers is not-limit-ed to this aspect only, but extends to include the work of the heads of Palestinian local authorities. Heads and members of local councils and field commanders in a number of villages and towns in the West Bank have been subjected to arrest by the occupation forces recently, with the complicity of the political and security echelons and the settlers alike. At dawn on Friday, the fifth of this month, the Israeli occupation army arrested the head of the Haris village council in the Salfit governorate, Omar Samara, and his deputy, Tayseer Kleib. A day before that, the occupation forces arrested: the Secretary of the Fatah Movement in the Salfeet, Abdel Sattar Awad-;- the youth official, Moamer Ziqan-;- and the -dir-ector of the movement s regional office, Adel Al-Khafash-;- and the youth coordinator in the Salfeet Governorate, Issam Harb.
Coinciding with the brutal settlers attack on the village of Al-Mughayyir in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, the occupation forces arrested the head of the village council, Amin Abu Aliya. This coincided with the detention of a number of local council heads while attempting to organize activities´-or-engage in activities in areas threatened with confiscation, as happened with the head of the Sakaka village council in Salfeet. In addition, the occupation authorities arrested Tayseer Abu Sneineh, the mayor of Hebron, days after Israeli media revealed that Netanyahu was discussing the idea of the ‘Emirate of Hebron.’ Through their social media pages, a number of extremist settlers, including Elisha Yard, continue to incite against the mayor of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, Mutaz Tawafsheh, accusing him of leading land reclamation operations and confronting settlers.
Within the context of the occupying state s settlement activities, on Sep. 2, settlers from the ‘Shavei al-Khalil Religious School’ stormed a house on Shallalah Street in Hebron and established a new settlement there. Shallalah Street, where the settlement was established, has in recent years become the main road for Palestinians to reach the Old City of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, after the Israeli occupation army closed the parallel street, Shuhada Street, to them. With the establishment of the new settlement, Palestinians fear that the occupation army will also close Shallalah Street to them under the pretext of protecting the new settlement, which will almost completely obstruct their access to the Old City from the west.
Settlers claim that the house was owned by a Jewish family before 1948 along with other Jewish-owned properties in the city, Israeli governments allocated 4 of them for the establishment of 4 settlements in the heart of the city: Avraham Avinu, Beit Romano, Beit Hadassah, and Tel Rumeida. In 2016, the Custodian of State Property allocated another plot of land adjacent to Beit Romano for the construction of 31 settlement units, and later decided to allocate the wholesale market buildings adjacent to the Avraham Avinu settlement to settlers ‘a plan that has not yet been implemented’.
The Peace Now Movement said, ‘in recent decades, the Israeli army has closed roads and streets to Palestinians, preventing them even from walking on them. It has also closed hundreds of homes and shops by military order to protect the few hundred settlers living inside a Palestinian city with a population of about 250,000. Shuhada Street, once one of Hebron s busiest streets, has become deserted by Palestinians. Immediately after Baruch Goldstein s 1994 massacre of Muslim worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque, the army closed the street to Palestinian vehicles, and since 2002, it has also been closed to Palestinian pedestrians. Since then, a parallel street, Shallalah Street, has become the main - and almost only -road leading to Hebron s Old City ‘the Casbah’ and the Ibrahimi Mosque. The new settlement may prompt the army to impose further restrictions on Shallalah Street.
In Jerusalem, Israeli PM Netanyahu visited the settlement of Ma ale Adumim last Thursday and signed a ‘framework agreement’ covering construction in the E1 area. Similar agreements were also signed by the Housing Minister, but Netanyahu chose to visit the settlement to sign the agreement in person with Mayor Guy Yifrah, in a show-off attempt to cover up the failure of his aggression against Qatar. The framework agreement aims to expand Ma ale Adumim, one of the largest settlements in the occupied West Bank, and double its population by adding 7,600 housing units.
Jerusalem Post reported that under the agreement, the government will develop commercial areas for business on a total area of about 20,000m2. To this end, about NIS 3 billion will be invested, Construction and Housing Minister Haim Katz announced some NIS 420 million will be allocated to developing key infrastructure, including roads, sewage, water, electricity, and transportation in the new neighborhoods, and some NIS 340 million will be allocated to establishing public institutions and developing community services, including in older neighborhoods.
Moreover, the Israeli occupation authorities have begun implementing new expansion projects within the ‘Givat HaMos’ settlement, built on the lands of Khirbet Tabaliya, affiliated with the Beit Safafa towen in occupied Jerusalem. This comes within the framework of the occupation authorities policy of advancing projects aimed at accelerating the Judaization of the Holy City through ethnic cleansing, transfer policies, the displacement of its indigenous population, and the seizure of their lands, in order to settle settlers and impose ade facto, and obliterate the historical, political, and cultural identity of Jerusalem.
According to data, the occupation has seized 40% of the area of Khirbet Tabaliya, owned by the Alian family, a total of 10 dunams out of 25, with the aim of expanding the settlement and consolidating its settlement presence at the expense of the residents rights and land. Experts warn that those projects also fall within broader plans, including the ‘E1’ and ‘Southern Hills’ projects, which aim to isolate Jerusalem from its surroundings and connect the settlements to each other in a settlement ring that prevents the establishment of a contiguous and viable Palestinian State.
In a remarkable development, the Israeli Foreign Ministry is preparing to hold a celebration for its employees at the Mishor Adumim Industrial Complex, located in the Ma ale Adumim settlement, to celebrate the Jewish New Year, according to a report in Haaretz last Tuesday. The celebration includes musical and singing performances, Greek-style dancing, drumming and winemaking workshops, spa treatments, gift distribution, and a toast, attended by FM Gideon Sa ar, his deputy Sharan Haskel, and the ministry s -dir-ector general, Eden Bar-Tal. The decision has sparked widespread criticism among ministry employees, some of whom expressed reservations about the choice of location and holding the celebration during a war, considering the event inappropriate in light of the current political situation.
They asked, ‘Are there any political achievements worth celebrating?’ A source in the ministry told the newspaper that the expected turnout may not exceed 20%, and that some employees feel unsafe reaching the site in their private cars, despite the ministry providing buses from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the settlement of Modi in. This celebration comes in the context of the ministry s recent statements, which included the annexation of the West Bank to Israeli sovereignty, considering the Balfour Declaration to apply to all of the territories of Mandatory Palestine.

This has sparked widespread international and local criticism. The event reflects the conflicting viewpoints within the ministry, between those who see it as an opportunity for celebration and integration, and those who consider it politically and security-wise inappropriate.

List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:

- Dem

- Forcing Ahmed Amireh and his sons Musab, Moaz, and Mahmood to self-demolish their 4 homes in the Sur Baher own, south of Jerusalem.
- Storming Al-Ain Street in the Silwan town and distributed demolition orders to a number of homes of Jerusalemites. They also issued demolition orders to homes and shops in the Al-Aqbat Neighborhood in the Al-Ram town. They distributed demolition orders to 3 homes and 4 shops under the pretext of building without a permit. The owners were given 3 days to carry out the demolition.
- Forcing Abdullah Al-Hawas to demolish his home in the Shuafat Camp, noting that he was forced to use a bulldozer to carry out the demolition, fearing heavy fines if the occupation municipality does so. The occupation forces also stormed the town of Qatanna, northwest of Jerusalem, and took measurements of the home of the family of citizen Moh’d Taha, in preparation for its demolition. They also notified the demolition of several houses on Al-Ain Street in the Silwan town, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Demolishing a wall in the Qatanna town, and notified the demolition of several houses and facilities in the towns of Biddu and Al-Qubeiba, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, including the Biddu Municipality Park. Dozens of demolition notices were posted for houses and facilities in Al-Qubeiba and Biddu. Moreover they forced Abdullah Hawas to demolish 2 apartments housing 7 people, which form one floor in a residential building in the Shuafat Refugee Camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, under the pretext of lacking a license.
- Setting fire to an agricultural facility containing fodder and equipment for raising livestock in the Sahel area in the town of Jaba , belonging to a family from the Ka abneh Bedouin. Others stormed the ‘Al-Ara ra community in the Jaba town and burned 2 agricultural facilities, of which 1 belongs to Mustafa Ara ra, and the other to another member of the community.’
Hwebron:
- Setting up mobile homes ‘caravans’ on the lands of the Al-Rihiya village, in the lands of Khallet Al-Maaser, near the ‘Haggai’ settlement, south of Hebron, with the aim of expanding the settlement at the expense of the lands of citizens from the Tubasi family. They also paved a road linking the ‘Haggai’ settlement to the caravans. The area of land seized by the settlers is 150 dunams, while others began paving a new settlement road near the Aqwawis town, south of Hebron, extending from the entrance to the town of Aqwawis to the Tel Ma’in area.
- Attacking the village of Khallet Al-Daba’ in Masafer Yatta, injured, bruised and fractured elderly people and an infant girl, protected by the occupation army. The attack resulted in the injury of the elderly man Ali Al-Dabbasah and his elderly wife Amna Al-Dabbasah, and the citizen Abbas Al-Dabbasah, who was stabbed with a knife, and his wife with bruises and fractures, while their 3 months daughter was injured from suffocation after being sprayed with tear gas, and his two sons Qutaiba and Izz Al-Din were injured and fractured, and the citizen Hani Al-Dababseh sustained injuries and fractures as a result of being stabbed. They also destroyed the contents of homes, including water tanks and solar panels that supply the village with electricity.
- Bulldozing lands in the Wadi Al-Aran in the Beit Ummar town, with the aim of paving a settlement road adjacent to the ‘Gush Etzion’ settlement bloc. The area is estimated at more than 300 dunams, some of which are planted with olive and almond trees, in addition to forest trees.
- Paving a settlement road in the Wadi Al-Aran area and Khalet Shakhit, north of Beit Ummar and adjacent to the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. Noting that the occupation forces have been preventing farmers from entering and working in their lands for about 2 years, and informed the Palestinian farmers not to enter their lands ‘under the burden of liability.’
Ramallah:
- Opening fire at citizens and their property in the town of Sinjil while attempting to prevent a raid on the Muzayri a area north of the town, and cow grazing near homes. Live ammunition penetrated the windows of citizens homes and hit a vehicle.
- Storming the home of citizen Imad Maali and attempted to open the door of the house and a vehicle parked in front of it in the village of Deir Dibwan, before proceeding to cut the wiring of surveillance cameras. One of the settlers was carrying a machine gun and wearing an Israeli army uniform.
- Stealing firewood from the western plain of the Al-Mughayyir village.
- Attacking citizens vehicles on the road between the cities of Ramallah and Nablus, near the ‘Shilo settlement.’
Nablus:
- Demolishing 16 shops in the central vegetable market ‘Al-Hesba’ in the Beita town, south of Nablus. They also destroyed 4 large refrigerators in addition to floors, barracks, goods and scales, burying them under the rubble.
- Demolishing 2 agricultural barracks, 4 water tanks and a mobile bathroom, belonging to the brothers Yousef and Musa Atiya Bani Maniyeh, without prior warning, under the pretext of building in Area C in Khirbet al-Tawil, south of Nablus.
- Setting fire to lands in Yatma village, south of Nablus, the Village Council reported that a number of settlers got off a bus on the main street on the northern side of the village and set fire to olive trees adjacent to the street.
- Smashing the windows of 3 vehicles and damaged them, while others attacked the vehicles and threw stones at them on the road near the Yitzhar settlement, damaging some of them in the village of Osarin.
- Attacking the pine nursery, vandalizing and destroying its contents, and uprooting a number of trees inside, causing extensive damage in the Yitma village.
- Attacking the Al-Junaidi nursery in the village of Deir Sharaf, west of Nablus, resulting in 3 citizens suffering burns as a result of the fire. The fire destroyed the nursery and its contents, and the damage caused by this act of vandalism was estimated at millions of shekels.
Jenin:
- Uprooting olive trees from lands belonging to the Yamoun and Al-Arqa towns, west of Jenin. The mayor of Yamoun, Ibrahim Khamayseh, said that the occupation bulldozers stormed the town, razed agricultural land belonging to a citizen from the town, uprooted olive trees, and demolished agricultural barns inside it, in addition to a nearby plot of land belonging to a citizen from the town of Al-Arqa. The occupation had notified the owners of the land 6 months ago that the trees would be uprooted and the land returned to its previous state.
Salfeet:
- Demolishing stone walls and uprooted trees in the Farkha village, while occupation forces bulldozed agricultural land in the Jabal al-Batin area to expand the settlement built on the village s lands, as part of a settlement expansion project to establish what is called ‘Greater Ariel’ in the area.
Jordan Valley:
- Uprooting a number of forest and ornamental trees along the main road in the center of Ein Shibli village, in the central Jordan Valley.
- Destroying the contents of the tent of citizen Qadri Daraghmeh, which he had recently erected as a residence after the occupation authorities demolished his home in Khirbet Ein al-Hilweh in the northern Jordan Valley, the homes of his children and their sheep pens 2 weeks ago.
- Roaming among the homes of citizens to provoke and terrorize them, while others cut the electricity cables of the solar panel system for citizens in Nab’ Ghazal and the electricity line feeding the Al-Auja waterfall complex, causing a power outage in homes in Khirbet Samra, in the northern Jordan Valley.

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