The Israeli government is expected in its weekly meeting on Sunday to approve a plan to legalize Havat Gilad outpost after it had postponed the vote last week.
Havat Gilad outpost was established in 2002 on Palestinian lands belonging to Nablus city.
Israel regularly pushes for the establishment of new settlements or the legalization of existing ones in the West Bank under various pretexts. Such moves are usually taken following Palestinian anti-occupation attacks in order to win the international community’s sympathy.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to put the project which was prepared by the war minister Avigdor Lieberman forward for a vote during this week’s session.
Netanyahu had also instructed the Israeli Ministry of Public Security to provide Havat Gilad with an electricity network and improve its infrastructure.
Havat Gilad outpost which is built on privately-owned Palestinian lands is considered illegal under Israeli law. That’s why the government had refrained from voting on the legalization plan last week.
