JERUSALEM — Israel's prime minister says it will legalize an isolated West Bank outpost in response to the murder of one of its residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday that those who try to "break our spirit and weaken us made a grave mistake." He says his government will legalize Havat Gilad to "allow the continuing of normal life there."

Earlier this month, Havat Gilad resident Rabbi Raziel Shevah, a 35-year-old father of six, was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home in the unauthorized settlement outpost near Nablus. The community of a few hundred Israelis is located deep inside the West Bank.

The anti-settlement Peace Now group says the effort to legalize it is a "cynical exploitation of the murder." </s> JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister says it will legalize an isolated West Bank outpost in response to the murder of one of its residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday that those who try to “break our spirit and weaken us made a grave mistake.” He says his government will legalize Havat Gilad to “allow the continuing of normal life there.”

Earlier this month, Havat Gilad resident Rabbi Raziel Shevah, a 35-year-old father of six, was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home in the unauthorized settlement outpost near Nablus. The community of a few hundred Israelis is located deep inside the West Bank.

The anti-settlement Peace Now group says the effort to legalize it is a “cynical exploitation of the murder.” </s> JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister says it will legalize an isolated West Bank outpost in response to the murder of one of its residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday that those who try to “break our spirit and weaken us made a grave mistake.” He says his government will legalize Havat Gilad to “allow the continuing of normal life there.”

Earlier this month, Havat Gilad resident Rabbi Raziel Shevah, a 35-year-old father of six, was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home in the unauthorized settlement outpost near Nablus. The community of a few hundred Israelis is located deep inside the West Bank.

The anti-settlement Peace Now group says the effort to legalize it is a “cynical exploitation of the murder.” </s> Jerusalem: Israel's prime minister says it will legalise an isolated West Bank outpost in response to the murder of one of its residents.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting that those who try to "break our spirit and weaken us made a grave mistake."

He said his government will legalise Havat Gilad to "allow the continuing of normal life there."

Earlier this month, Havat Gilad resident Rabbi Raziel Shevah, a 35-year-old father of six, was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home in the unauthorised settlement outpost near Nablus.

The community of a few hundred Israelis is located deep inside the West Bank.

The anti-settlement Peace Now group says the effort to legalise it is a "cynical exploitation of the murder." </s> The Israeli prime minister will formally approve the construction of a settlement at the Havat Gilad outpost in the West Bank, following the murder of a local rabbi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

"The government will today regularize the status of Havat Gilad to allow the continuance of normal life there," he said during a weekly cabinet meeting.

The ministers are set to decide on the creation of a "new community" on the site of the outpost with some 50 families living there and provide the settlement with building permits and state money.

However, they failed to catch 22-year-old Ahmed Jarrar, the man suspected of organizing the attack.

The operation continued earlier this week in the village of Burquin, where Israeli troops killed a 19-year-old teenager amid clashes with locals.

READ MORE: Palestine Liberation Organization Calls for Cutting Ties With Israel

During the rabbi's funeral, Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said that the only revenge for the murder was the construction of settlements, while Netanyahu underlined the same policy during his Sunday speech.

"Anyone who thinks that through the abominable murder of a resident of Havat Gilad, a father of six, they would break our spirits… is making a bitter mistake," he said.

Israeli settlements on the West Bank are illegal under international law as Palestinians regard the territory as part of their future state. Israel, for its part, differentiates between the settlements it has approved and not.

The latter are designated as outposts and are usually populated by religious nationalists, who consider the whole territory on the West Bank as part of Israel. </s> Israel on Sunday said it plans to legalize an isolated West Bank outpost in response to the murder of one of its residents in a shooting attack last month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting that his government will legalize Havat Gilad to “allow the continuing of normal life there.”

“Whoever thought that through the reprehensible murder of a resident of Havat Gilad, a father of six, that our spirit can be broken and we can be weakened, is making a bitter mistake,” Netanyahu said.

Last month, Rabbi Raziel Shevah, 35, was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home in the unauthorized settlement outpost near the Palestinian city of Nablus. The Israeli military is still searching the area for suspects.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, areas the Palestinians want for a future state. Israel has established about 120 West Bank settlements, which it considers legal. In addition, about 100 settlement outposts have been erected without official approval but Israel generally tolerates them. Most of the international community considers all Jewish West Bank settlements illegal.

Havat Gilad, a community of a few hundred Israelis, is among these rogue outposts and is located deep inside the West Bank, away from areas Israel expects to keep under any peace deal with the Palestinians. Critics see their expansion as complicating peace efforts.

The anti-settlement group Peace Now called the effort to legalize the outpost a “cynical exploitation of the murder.”

Meanwhile, Israel on Sunday demolished a two-classroom school in a Bedouin community in the West Bank, saying the EU-funded structure was built illegally without proper permits and that it was in a precarious condition. The school served nearly 30 third and fourth grade students who were moved to a nearby guesthouse and barbershop to continue classes.

A statement from Cogat, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said the demolition was approved after it had been challenged in Israel’s Supreme Court.

The EU delegation to Israel called on the country to “meet its obligations as occupying power vis-a-vis the Palestinian population.”

“Children should not be left without classrooms,” it said in a statement.

Roberto Valent, an official with the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA, said he was “deeply concerned” by the demolition. In a statement, he said the Israeli-issued permits were “nearly impossible to obtain” and that demolitions such as Sunday’s, among other Israeli policies, “have created a coercive environment that violates the human rights of residents and generates a risk of forcible transfer.”

The demolition took place near the settlement of Maaleh Adumim, in the 60 per cent of the West Bank known as Area C that remains under full Israeli control. Israel has imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian development in this area, home to dozens of Israeli settlements.

The EU funds the construction of many homes, schools and other structures in the area and says the projects are needed for humanitarian reasons and economic development.

Israel says that any assistance to Palestinians in Area C must be co-ordinated with authorities. </s> JERUSALEM, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Israel granted legal status on Sunday to a previously unauthorized outpost in the occupied West Bank in response to a Palestinian shooting attack last month that killed one of its residents.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision to retroactively authorize the 50-family outpost of Havat Gilad was meant to "allow the continuation of normal life there."

Most countries deem Israeli settlements in the West Bank, land Israel captured in a 1967 war that the Palestinians want for a future state, to be illegal. Israel disputes this.

The decision was approved unanimously by Israel's cabinet.

"Netanyahu is trying to make facts on ground. All settlements in the West Bank, including in Jerusalem, are illegal," said Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee.

On Jan. 9, Havat Gilad resident Rabbi Raziel Shevah was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Adrian Croft) </s> Israel says it will legalise West Bank settlement after rabbi shot dead in isolated outpost

Israel says it plans to legalise an isolated West Bank outpost in response to the murder of one of its residents in a shooting last month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting his Government would legalise Havat Gilad to "allow the continuing of normal life there".

"Whoever thought that through the reprehensible murder of a resident of Havat Gilad, a father of six, that our spirit can be broken and we can be weakened, is making a bitter mistake," Mr Netanyahu said.

Last month, Rabbi Raziel Shevah, 35, was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home in the unauthorised settlement outpost near the Palestinian city of Nablus. The Israeli military is still searching the area for suspects.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, areas the Palestinians want for a future state.

Last month, Israel's Parliament passed an amendment that would make it harder for it to cede control over parts of Jerusalem in any peace deal with the Palestinians, who condemned the move as undermining any chance to revive talks on statehood.

Israel has established about 120 West Bank settlements, which it considers legal. In addition, about 100 settlement outposts have been erected without official approval but Israel generally tolerates them. Most of the international community considers all Jewish West Bank settlements illegal.

Havat Gilad, a community of a few hundred Israelis, is among these rogue outposts and is located deep inside the West Bank, away from areas Israel expects to keep under any peace deal with the Palestinians. Critics see their expansion as complicating peace efforts.

The anti-settlement group Peace Now called the effort to legalise the outpost a "cynical exploitation of the murder".

Meanwhile, Israel on Sunday demolished a two-classroom school in a Bedouin community in the West Bank, saying the EU-funded structure was built illegally without proper permits and that it was in a precarious condition. The school served nearly 30 third- and fourth-grade students who were moved to a nearby guesthouse and barbershop to continue classes.

A statement from Cogat, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said the demolition came after a challenge in Israel's Supreme Court was overruled.

Roberto Valent, an official with the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, said he was "deeply concerned" by the demolition. In a statement, he said the Israeli-issued permits were "nearly impossible to obtain" and that demolitions such as Sunday's, among other Israeli policies, "have created a coercive environment that violates the human rights of residents and generates a risk of forcible transfer".

The demolition took place near the settlement of Maaleh Adumim, in the 60 per cent of the West Bank known as Area C that remains under full Israeli control. Israel has imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian development in this area, home to dozens of Israeli settlements.

The EU funds the construction of many homes, schools and other structures in the area and says the projects are needed for humanitarian reasons and economic development.

Israel said any assistance to Palestinians in Area C must be coordinated with authorities. </s> JERUSALEM — Israel on Sunday said it plans to legalize an isolated West Bank outpost in response to the murder of one of its residents in a shooting attack last month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting that his government will legalize Havat Gilad to “allow the continuing of normal life there.”

“Whoever thought that through the reprehensible murder of a resident of Havat Gilad, a father of six, that our spirit can be broken and we can be weakened, is making a bitter mistake,” Netanyahu said.

Last month, Rabbi Raziel Shevah, 35, was shot dead from a passing vehicle as he drove near his home in the unauthorized settlement outpost near the Palestinian city of Nablus. The Israeli military is still searching the area for suspects.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, areas the Palestinians want for a future state. Israel has established about 120 West Bank settlements, which it considers legal. In addition, about 100 settlement outposts have been erected without official approval but Israel generally tolerates them. Most of the international community considers all Jewish West Bank settlements illegal.

Havat Gilad, a community of a few hundred Israelis, is among these rogue outposts and is located deep inside the West Bank, away from areas Israel expects to keep under any peace deal with the Palestinians. Critics see their expansion as complicating peace efforts.

The anti-settlement group Peace Now called the effort to legalize the outpost a “cynical exploitation of the murder.”

Meanwhile, Israel on Sunday demolished a two-classroom school in a Bedouin community in the West Bank, saying the EU-funded structure was built illegally without proper permits and that it was in a precarious condition. The school served nearly 30 third and fourth-grade students who were moved to a nearby guesthouse and barbershop to continue classes.

A statement from Cogat, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said the demolition came after a challenge in Israel’s Supreme Court was overruled.

The demolition took place near the settlement of Maaleh Adumim, in the 60 percent of the West Bank known as Area C that remains under full Israeli control. Israel has imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian development in this area, home to dozens of Israeli settlements.

The EU funds the construction of many homes, schools and other structures in the area and says the projects are needed for humanitarian reasons and economic development.

Israel says that any assistance to Palestinians in Area C must be coordinated with authorities.
The Cabinet of Israel decides to legalize a previously unauthorized outpost "deep inside the [occupied] West Bank", Havat Gilad, allegedly in reaction to the recent killing of an Israeli rabbi there.