Israeli army struggling to control settler violence in West Bank

Israel's civil administration in the West Bank is demolishing illegal outposts in a bid to stem violent incursions by settlers into Palestinian villages.

Last week, security forces demolished structures in an outpost built illegally on privately-owned Palestinian land. Settlers in the outpost clashed with troops, hurling stones and burning tires to block the roads. The violent clashes continued throughout the day.

While the civil administration demolitions are at an administrative level, even the Netanyahu government is starting to act against the outposts. Last week, the government ordered the evacuation of the Oz Zion B outpost after the Shin Bet security service presented an intelligence report which warned coming out of the Oz Zion outpost could turn the West Bank from a secondary front in the war into the main front.

Five settlers were arrested on suspicion of throwing stones and disorderly conduct, but were released after border police declined to press charges.

The outgoing head of IDF Central Command said this week that settler political and religious leaders are not acting to stop ultranationalist violence against Palestinians. Major General Yehuda Fuchs was speaking at the handover ceremony in which Major General Avi Bluth accepted control of the command.

"To my great distress, in recent months and just this week ultranationalist criminal activity has raised its head, under the cover of the war and the lust for revenge, terrorising Palestinian civilians who posed no threat," Fuchs said.