The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has decided to expand the boundaries of two illegal settler outposts called &ldquoAsael&rdquo and &ldquoAvigail&rdquo in the south of the West Bank city of al-Khalil.
According to Haaretz website the outposts of Asael and Avigail had been built without authorization and were retroactively approved by the Israeli government six months ago. Now Avigail is to double in size while the area of Asael is to be 18 times larger.
Haaretz said that maps released last Monday by the Israeli civil administration in the West Bank showed that the boundaries of two settler outposts in the south of al-Khalil’s hills which had been built without government permission and legalized by the new Israeli cabinet last February are to be expanded considerably.
&ldquoThe cabinet retroactively authorized the two outposts Asael and Avigayil as well as eight others in February&rdquo Haaretz pointed out.
&ldquoThe boundaries of the settlements have been published on the maps and the Israeli nonprofit group Kerem Navot estimates that the area of Asael is to be made 18 times larger and Avigail 2.5 times its current size. Asael and Avigail are the first two of the 10 settlements whose new official boundaries have been made public as part of their retroactive authorization&rdquo the Israeli news website explained.
