JERUSALEM: Jewish settler activists left a wildcat outpost near the West Bank city of Ramallah quietly yesterday, Israeli media reported, 24 hours after battling security forces sent to evict them.
Israeli television said that the dispute was defused in talks between army officers and leading settler rabbis.
The military said only that all was quiet on Saturday evening. “There’s nothing going on there at the moment,” a spokeswoman said.
In the Friday clash, activists hurled rocks at soldiers and border policeman, with army radio saying that five policemen were lightly wounded by rocks and one “rightwing activist” arrested.
The radio said that about 250 activists took part in the clash, in which security forces responded with stun grenades before withdrawing, as the Jewish sabbath began at sunset.
News website Ynet quoted “sources among the settlers” as saying that the eviction was halted after they pressured ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rightwing government to intervene.
AFP
