At least 12 settlers held as Israeli police raze part of outpost

JERUSALEM: Around Twelve Jewish settlers, seven of them minors, were arrested on Monday when police dismantled three structures in a settlement outpost near Ramallah, an Israeli police spokeswoman said.

The arrests occurred early on Monday as police and troops demolished three structures set up illegally in the unauthorised settlement outpost of Oz Zion east of Ramallah, spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP.

"During the night, police were working with civil administration officers to remove three illegal structures in Oz Zion outpost," she said, indicating that "dozens" of young settlers had tried to prevent them by throwing stones.

"A total of 12 suspects were arrested, six young women and six young men," she said, indicating that seven of them were minors.

Israel considers settlement outposts built in the West Bank without government approval to be illegal and often sends security personnel to demolish them. They usually consist of little more than a few trailers.

The international community considers all settlements built in the occupied West Bank, including annexed Arab east Jerusalem, to be illegal.

Meanwhile in Jerusalem, around 150 settlers gathering outside the Knesset to protest against the government's plans to demolish by the end of the year a number of outposts which are built on private Palestinian land, police and settler officials said.

Organisers said the demonstrators were calling on MPs to take a stand against the demolitions which were ordered by the Supreme Court in August.

Among the outposts slated for removal are Givat Asaf, Amona as well as parts of Givat HaRoeh, Ramat Gilad and Bnei Adam.

Another outpost, Migron, is to be taken down by the end of March 2012.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011